Editing Cyanogen (section)

==History==

Cyanogen was first synthesized in 1815 by [[Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac]], who determined its empirical formula and named it. Gay-Lussac coined the word "cyanogène" from the Greek words κυανός (kyanos, blue) and γεννάω (gennao, to create), because cyanide was first isolated by Swedish chemist [[Carl Wilhelm Scheele]] from the pigment [[Prussian blue]].<ref>{{cite journal | author = Gay-Lussac, J. L. | title = Recherches sur l'acide prussique | journal = Annales de Chimie | date = 1815 | volume = 95 | pages = 136–231 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=m9s3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA136 |language=fr}} Gay-Lussac names cyanogen on p. 163.</ref> It attained importance with the growth of the [[fertilizer]] industry in the late 19th century and remains an important intermediate in the production of many fertilizers. It is also used as a stabilizer in the production of [[nitrocellulose]].

Cyanogen is commonly found in [[comet]]s.<ref name="poison">{{cite web | title=Cometary Poison Gas Geyser Heralds Surprises | website=science.nasa.gov | date=2010-11-02 | url=https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/02nov_epoxi2/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106033738/https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/02nov_epoxi2/ | archive-date=2010-11-06 | url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1910 a [[spectroscopic]] analysis of [[Halley's Comet]] found cyanogen in the comet's tail, which led to public fear that the Earth would be poisoned as it passed through the tail. People in [[New York City|New York]] wore gas masks, and merchants sold [[Quack (medicine)|quack]] "comet pills" claimed to neutralize poisoning.<ref name="poison" /> Because of the extremely diffuse nature of the tail, there was no effect when the planet passed through it.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1910/02/08/104920328.pdf |title=Comet's Poisonous Tail |newspaper=New York Times |date=1910-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Halley's Comet 100 years ago | website=The Denver Post | date=2010-05-25 | url=https://www.denverpost.com/2010/05/25/halleys-comet-100-years-ago/}}</ref>