Ig farben

Who made zyklon b
Sarin gas ww2
Tabun

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October 22, 2021

Colloquium Topic: The Chemical Age: pesticides and chemical weapons from World War I to the Vietnam War

In the late 19th Century, scientists discovered that humanity’s most intractable infectious diseases and the blight of staple crops were caused by microscopic pathogens. This discovery led scientists on an urgent mission to prevent pandemics and famine with chemicals. The discovery that many diseases are transmitted by insects and other animals presented a means to end misery: pesticides were quickly developed to kill these animal vectors. Inevitably, scientists discovered that many of these chemicals could be weaponized, and the world experienced waves of chaos as modern warfare swept over national boundaries. By the end of World War I, one-quarter of artillery shells contained chemicals. The complex, two-way relationship between pesticides and chemical weapons solidified, and chemical companies accumulated wealth and power. The use of chemicals in war led to a rush to harness the power of chemistry against pests during times of peace.

Advances i

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Gerhard Schrader

German chemist (1903–1990)

Gerhard Schrader (25 February 1903 – 10 April 1990) was a German chemist specializing in the discovery of new insecticides, hoping to make progress in the fight against hunger in the world. Schrader is best known for his accidental discovery of nerve agents including sarin and tabun. Sarin is partially named after him: It was named in honor of its discoverers, Schrader, Otto Ambros, Gerhard Ritter [de], and Hans-Jürgen von der Linde.^[1]

Schrader was born in Bortfeld, near Wendeburg, Germany. He attended gymnasium in Braunschweig and later studied chemistry at Braunschweig University of Technology.^[2] He was later employed at the Bayer AG division of IG Farben.

Schrader discovered several very effective insecticides, including bladan (the first fully synthetic contact insecticide, Hexaethyl tetraphosphate being a constituent), and parathion (E 605). In 1936, while employed by the large German conglomerate IG Farben, he was experimenting with a class of compounds called organophosphates, wh

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Gerhard Schrader: Father of the Nerve Agents

Dr. Gerhard Schrader (February 25, 1903 - April 10, 1990) was a German chemist who specialized in the discovery of new insecticides. He hoped to make progress in the fight against world hunger but is best known for his accidental discovery of nerve agents and is sometimes called “the father of the nerve agents."

On December 23, 1936, Dr. Schrader synthesized Tabun (ethyl dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate, GA) at the I. G. Farbenindustrie laboratory in Leverkusen. He also discovered Sarin, Soman, and Cyclosarin, which are all organophosphate compounds. These highly toxic gases, especially Tabun, were stockpiled by the Nazis during World War II but not used against the Allies. After the war, British intelligence tried to recruit Schrader to develop chemical weapons in the UK, but Schrader remained in Germany and worked for Bayer. In declining the offer, Schrader wrote: "I am glad to be fully engaged again in the field of plant protection. My work during the war in the field of toxic substances never complied with my wishes.”