Thioacetone is a volatile liquid that has the simple formula CH3-CS-CH3. Despite the simplicity of the structure, thioacetone holds a record of "stinking" among all the chemicals that have ever been obtained on Earth.
In 1889, scientists in the German city of Freiburg attempted to obtain a small amount of thioacetone. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, "The so immediately disgusting smell spread over the city that vomiting arose among the inhabitants, and some of them even fainted." In the city there was a panic. The authorities had to urgently evacuate the population.
Thioacetone immediately spontaneously polymerizes into TRIthioacetone, a substance devoid of any odor. But it's worth tritytoacetone depolymerize back to the monomer ... and an unforgettable holiday begins.
The incident, similar to the Freiburg, occurred in 1967 in Oxford. In the laboratories of Esso, a group of employees conducted an experiment to obtain thioacetone. Due to the increased pressure from the flask with thioacetone, the plug jumped out. Although the cork was immediately returned to the place, soon everyone who was within 200 meters (!) Of the laboratory, began to have vomiting.
Once, two chemists who worked in the same laboratory with scant amounts of thioacetone decided to have a bite at a restaurant. Because of the bad smell they spread, they were almost knocked out onto the street, and the waitress had to spray them with deodorant.
To test the ability of thioaceton to "spoil the air," scientists conducted an experiment. They put one drop of the substance on the glass and put it in the fume hood. Volunteers standing (in the wind) at a distance of 400 meters from the laboratory, after a few seconds, they felt a terrible stench and were forced to retire who
Very nice completion of post! @politt Loved the pictures and description.