Phosgene

Phosgene is the chemical compound with the formula COCl₂. This gas has no color. The gas was used as a weapon during World War I. It is responsible for most of the deaths related to poison gas during the war. Today, phosgene is used as a tool. It is used for organic synthesis. When there is a small amount in the air, the smell is similar to that of freshly cut hay or grass. Some soldiers during the First World War have stated that it smelled a little like May Blossom. When some compounds of chlorine and carbon burn or break down, small amounts of phosgene are given off.^[1]

1. ↑ Wolfgang Schneider and Werner Diller "Phosgene" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2002. DOI: 10.1002/14356007.a19_411. Article Online Posting Date: June 15, 2000