The chemical compound ethyl nitrite is an alkyl nitrite with a chemical formula C2H5NO2. It may be prepared from ethanol.[2]

Uses

It is used as a reagent with butanone to yield the dimethylglyoxime end product.

Ethyl nitrite is the main ingredient in a traditional ethanol-based South African remedy for colds and flu known as Witdulsies, which is sold in pharmacies. It is known as a traditional Afrikaans remedy; the same remedy is apparently made by the Amish in the US. However, FDA has blocked over-the-counter sales of this same remedy, known in the US as sweet nitrite or sweet spirit of nitre, since 1980.[3] Its use has been associated with fatal methemoglobinemia.[4]

Methemoglobinemia is the primary toxic effect of ethyl nitrite.[5] Due to ethyl nitrite's high volatility and faint smell, in the presence of ethyl nitrite vapors, it is easy to breath a high dose of it without realizing, resulting in methemoglobinemia,[6] which may or may not be severe, or even fatal.

References

  1. ^ "NFPA 704 Ratings for Common Chemicals".
  2. ^ Semon, W. L.; Damerell, V. R. (1943). "Dimethylglyoxime". Organic Syntheses; Collected Volumes, vol. 2, p. 204.
  3. ^ "Rulemaking History for OTC Sweet Spirits of Nitre Drug Products". fda.gov. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  4. ^ "ETHYL NITRITE - National Library of Medicine HSDB Database". toxnet.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2017-11-18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-11-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ "Ethyl nitrite". Haz-Map. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  6. ^ Titov, V Yu; Petrenko, Yu M (2005). "Proposed mechanism of nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia". Biochemistry (Moscow). 70 (4): 473–83. doi:10.1007/s10541-005-0139-7. PMID 15892615. S2CID 22906218.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_nitrite
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