Nature is full of chemical compounds that could kill us in the blink of an eye. And it gets worse when humans create new ones. These are the most dangerous chemicals you can encounter:
Table of contents
Chlorine Trifluoride (ClF3)
This compound was studied by the Nazis under the name “Substance N”.
The Nazis initially used to literally melt bunkers with flamethrowers that produced flames at 2400 °C, only to find that it was too dangerous even for them.
It bubbles on contact with air, explodes on contact with water, and if the explosion doesn’t kill you, it does by inhaling.
U.S. engineers thought about using it as rocket fuel, an idea that was scrapped when an accident during transport caused a leak in one of the steel tanks used. The tank ended up burning the concrete floor and the rock and sand beneath it.
Azidoazide Azide (C2N14)
This compound is not only a tongue twister, but also the most explosive compound ever created.
Which is ironic, considering that compounds made up of two nitrogen (N) atoms are the most stable, thanks to their triple bonds. But in the case of C2N14, the structure is such that none of the 14 nitrogen atoms are connected by a triple bond.
So not only is it highly explosive (since it releases energy during the reaction), but it is also highly reactive (unstable).
It’s such a sensitive compound that we can’t measure it because the slightest interaction would trigger an explosion, even if we just left it alone. The scientists placed it in a vibration-free, dark, temperature-controlled environment, and C2N14 exploded on its own.
Dimethylcadmium (CH3-Cd-CH3)
Cadmium is a dangerous element in itself, but when it forms this structure with carbon and hydrogen atoms, it goes much further. The substance becomes the most toxic product in the world.
When it enters the bloodstream and captures electrons from the atoms in our cells, it specifically affects the lungs, kidneys and liver.
If we somehow manage to survive, we will surely die of cancer since it is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals that exist.
Thioketone (C3H6S)
We’re not dealing with a destructive chemical here, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve to be on this list of most dangerous chemicals. It is the strongest smelling chemical there is.
You can smell a drop of this compound 500 feet (152.4 m) away instantly, causing vomiting and loss of consciousness. In cases where leaks have occurred, it has even led to mass expulsions, such as in the German city of Freiburg in 1889.
Fluoroantimonic Acid (H2FSbF6)
This is the most corrosive acid that exists, known as “super acid”. To put a reference, it is 10,000,000,000,000 times stronger than sulfuric acid, which is the most famous.
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