Methylfluorophosphonylcholine (MFPCh) is an extremely toxic chemical compound related to the G-series nerve agents. It is an extremely potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor which is around 100 times more potent than sarin at inhibiting acetylcholinesterase in vitro,[2] and around 10 times more potent in vivo, depending on route of administration and animal species tested.[3] MFPCh is resistant to oxime reactivators, meaning the acetylcholinesterase inhibited by MFPCh can't be reactivated by cholinesterase reactivators.[2][4][5] MFPCh also acts directly on the acetylcholine receptors.[6] However, despite its high toxicity, methylfluorophosphonylcholine is a relatively unstable compound and degrades rapidly in storage, so it was not deemed suitable to be weaponised for military use.[7]
Names | |
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Preferred IUPAC name
N,N,N-Trimethyl-2-[(methylphosphonofluoridoyl)oxy]ethan-1-aminium | |
Other names
Methylfluorophosphorylcholine, MFPCh
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Identifiers | |
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3D model (JSmol)
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ChemSpider |
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PubChem CID
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
C6H16FNO2P | |
Molar mass | 184.171 g·mol−1 |
Hazards | |
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): | |
Main hazards
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Extremely toxic |
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose)
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100 μg/kg (mice, intraperitoneal)[1] |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references
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