History and Discovery
HCN was not formally discovered until 1752 by French Chemist, Pierre Macquer, however the chemical compound itself is a deviation from a blue dye. Prussian Blue is a dark blue pigment used for painting, with the formula of Fe7(CN)18. Prussian Blue was synthesized by paint maker Diebach around 1706, after which point was used purely for pigmentation until it was transformed in 1752. Around this time French Chemist, Pierre Mcquer discovered that it can be changed into two substances, one being iron oxide and the other HCN. Chemist Carl Willhelm Scheele then named this product "Blue Acid" which then was decided by Claude Louis Berhollet (1787) that this "acid" ironically enough, did not contain oxygen hence disproving its "acidity". The application and origin of HCN is as varied as it's names, HCN can be found in some pitted fruits such as peaches cherries apricots etc. also in amonds and moths. HCN is also a common agent in chemical weapons. Most noteably it was used as a chemical agent known as Zyclon B or Cyclon B by the nazis during WWII in gas chambers. HCN as a chemical weapon is a mass killing agent, refered to a a blood agent.