It can be produced by heating bromoethylamine hydrobromide or 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate in the presence of sodium hydroxide (Gabriel method).
Contrary to early assumptions that ethylenimines only modified nucleic acids, it was found that trimeric ethylenimine also alters proteins in virus preparations, especially at higher pH values.
The modification of the proteins affected viral particle uptake into cells.
BEI is very hazardous since it attacks nucleic acids and proteins as described above.
The presence of BEI can be tested for using silver nitrate solution.