SS220 is an

insect repellent An insect repellent (also commonly called "bug spray") is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces to discourage insects (and arthropods in general) from landing or climbing on that surface. Insect repellents help prevent and cont ...

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 the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

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 DEET () or diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents. It is a slightly yellow oil intended to be applied to the skin or to clothing and provides protection a ...

. 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 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, and the costs involved in registration are prohibitively enormous.

References

{{Reflist Insect repellents Carboxamides Piperidines Cyclohexenes

See also

References