SS220 is an
insect repellent
An insect repellent (also commonly called "bug spray" or "bug deterrent") is a substance applied to the skin, clothing, or other surfaces to discourage insects (and arthropods in general) from landing or climbing on that surface. Insect repellent ...
with a broad range of efficacy.
It was developed in 2002 at the ''Chemicals Affecting Insect Behavior Laboratory'' of the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
and has been found to "exert repellent and deterrent effects upon the behavior of mosquitoes and sand flies". In the field, it has been shown to provide significantly better protection than
DEET
''N'',''N''-Diethyl-''meta''-toluamide, also called diethyltoluamide or DEET (, from DET, the initials of di- + ethyl + toluamide), is the oldest, one of the most effective, and most common active ingredients in commercial insect repellents. ...
.
SS220 has a slightly fruity odor, tends not to provoke allergic skin reactions, lasts longer on the skin than other repellents, does not have an oily consistency, and does not tend to plasticize. Its principal disadvantage is that only one
stereoisomer
In stereochemistry, stereoisomerism, or spatial isomerism, is a form of isomerism in which molecules have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution), but differ in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in ...
of the molecule is active, meaning it will be much more costly to produce than
icaridin
Icaridin, also known as picaridin, is an insect repellent which can be used directly on skin or clothing. It has broad efficacy against various arthropods such as mosquitos, ticks, gnats, flies and fleas, and is almost colorless and odorless. A s ...
. As of 2007 the chemical had not been registered, as the costs involved in registration are prohibitive.
See also
*
Icaridin
Icaridin, also known as picaridin, is an insect repellent which can be used directly on skin or clothing. It has broad efficacy against various arthropods such as mosquitos, ticks, gnats, flies and fleas, and is almost colorless and odorless. A s ...
, another substituted-piperidine insect-repellent
*
VUAA1, Experimental insect repellent
References
{{Reflist
Insect repellents
Carboxamides
Piperidines
Cyclohexenes