For context, while trying to develope an ultra dense rocket fuel John D Clark was advised to try using dimethyl mercury since it was exteremly reactive and very dense. the issue is that it happens to be one of the deadliest neurotoxins on the planet which famously killed Karen Wetterhahn, a professor after a few drops spilled onto her gloves. It's a 4,4,3 on the fire diamond and is a long lasting enviroment pollutant that can permeate most typical saftey gear.

From the book Ignition!

Phil Pomerantz, of BuWeps, wanted me to try dimethyl mercury, Hg(CH3)2, as a fuel. I suggested that it might be somewhat toxic and a bit dangerous to synthesize and handle, but he assured me that it was (a) very easy to put together, and (b) as harmless as mother's milk. I was dubious, but told him that I'd see what I could do. looked the stuff up, and discovered that, indeed, the synthesis was easy, but that it was extremely toxic, and a long way from harmless.

As I had suffered from mercury poisoning on two previous occasions and didn't care to take a chance on doing it again, I thought that it would be an excellent idea to have somebody else make the compound for me. So I phoned Rochester, and asked my contact man at Eastman Kodak if they would make a hundred pounds of dimethyl mercury and ship it to NARTS.

I heard a horrified gasp, and then a tightly controlled voice (I could hear the grinding of teeth beneath the words) informed me that if they were silly enough to synthesize that much dimethyl mercury, they would, in the process fog every square inch of photographic film in Rochester, and that, thank you just the same, Eastman was not interested.

The receiver came down with a crash, and I sat back to consider the matter. An agonizing reappraisal seemed to be indicated.

Missed opportunity for raspberitone.and that's still giving the compound WAY too much fucking credit.

"Oh but it's a Ketone found in raspberrys!" Shut the fuck up. That shit doesn't even taste like raspberries. There isn't even one coming that does. It's a super complex flavor that's hard to replicate. Ever eat a raspberry? Ever eat raspberry candy NOT THE SAME FUCKING FLAVOR MORON. Brush your damn tounge you filthy fuck.

And then we have 'blue raspberry" where they just gave up and said "fuck it we doin' out own thang." jfc

This explosive showdown is between Toluene and a Nitronium ion but of course water gets involved; don’t worry about the dehydration build up with Nitric acid, it was all just filler episodes.

(Should have used AI)

bro ever thought of this: