Making Butyl Isocyanide: The REAL Stinkiest Chemical (Worse Than Thioacetone)

Duration: 24:57

Ever since I made thioacetone for the first time back in 2022, I've been on a quest to find the most offensive smell on Earth...and I think I just might've found a prime candidate: n-butyl isocyanide! This is the only chemical I have ever tested that made me cough and experience discomfort from odor alone. It's not corrosive, irritating, or significantly toxic. It just REALLY reeks. Want to experience the horrors of n-butyl isocyanide for yourself? Donate $25 or more here, and I will send you a sample (make sure to include your name and mailing address): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/labcoatz Want to support LabCoatz? Then feel free to join my Patreon page! It literally costs less that a cup of coffee, and new $10+ patrons will be offered a sample of the n-butyl isocyanide: https://www.patreon.com/LabCoatz Be sure to check out @midwestchem368 and his take on the Gabriel synthesis: Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTgW7Rjw4tg Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YF0_4qHFeA A special thanks to @BackYardScience2000 for donating some of his chemicals to my channel! If you ever need specialty reagents, like benzene or phosphorus, be sure to check out his eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/backyardscience2000 Need hydrochloric or nitric acid (especially in bulk)? Be sure to check out the excellent selection found at Alchemie Labs: https://alchemielabs.com/ Want quality glassware at an affordable price? Check out CELL Supplies! If you're into hobby or professional chemistry, I definitely recommend them: https://www.cell-supplies.com/ WARNING: isocyanides are potentially toxic if inhaled for extended periods of time (some having similar effects to carbon monoxide). Organic amines are also mildly toxic and somewhat corrosive. Do not attempt anything seen in this video unless you understand the risks involved! 0:00 My stinky journey 1:00 The wrong kind of smell 1:29 Isocyanides 2:20 How do you make an isocyanide? 4:09 Aniline synthesis 8:08 Tert-butylamine 8:54 N-butylamine 9:39 Smelling day 11:08 Phenyl isocyanide smell test 12:32 Tert-butyl isocyanide 13:20 N-butyl isocyanide: the VERY worst 14:27 Distilling n-butyl isocyanide 15:02 Stinky problems 16:35 Pure n-butyl isocyanide! 16:55 Oops. 17:25 Distilling the other isocyanides 18:01 What do they smell like? 20:19 Comparing the super-stenches (thioacetone, selenols, and more) 23:36 ISOCYANIDES FOR SALE! 24:03 Sponsor thanks and conclusion