A
heterocyclic organic compound with the
molecular formula
C
4H
5As. Its five-membered
ring has one of the
carbon atoms
replaced by
arsenic. Thus it has the following
structural formula:
H H
\ /
C -- C
// \\
H -- C C -- H
\ /
As
|
H
Arsole is not aromatic, unlike certain similar compounds.. or
its namesake. A
common application for this chemical is found in geek jokes such
as this one1:
Two chemists meet for the first time at a symposium. One is American,
one is British. The British chemist asks the American chemist, "So what
do you do for research?" The American responds, "Oh, I work with arsoles."
The Brit responds, "Yes, sometimes my colleagues get on my nerves
also."
However, arsole is a real compound and serious scientific work has
been done on it, as illustrated by these publications2:
- "Studies on the Chemistry of the Arsoles", G. Märkl and H. Hauptmann,
J. Organomet. Chem., 248 (1983) 269.
- "Unusual Substitution in an Arsole Ring", G. Märkl and H. Hauptmann,
Angew. Chem. 84, (1972) 439.
References:
{1} Joachim Verhagen's Science Jokes,
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jcdverha/scijokes/
{2} Molecules with Silly or Unusual Names,
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/MOTM/silly/sillymols.htm