Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
chloropicrin
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Also called:
trichloronitromethane
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

chloropicrin

chemical compound
Also known as: PS, trichloronitromethane
Written by
Francis A. Carey
Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Author of Organic Chemistry and others.
Francis A. Carey
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

chloropicrin (Cl3CNO2), toxic organic compound used alone or in combination with methyl bromide as a soil fumigant and fungicide. Chloropicrin has a boiling point of 112 °C (234 °F). Its vapours are irritating to the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory tract, and it has been used in chemical warfare and as a tear gas. Chloropicrin is typically prepared by chlorination of either picric acid or nitromethane.

Francis A. Carey