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Synthesis and mechanistic studies of phosphoraziridines as radiation sensitizers

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6766435
Ethyl bis(2,2-dimethyl-1-aziridinyl)phosphinyl carbamate (AB-132) and ethyl bis(2,2-dimethyl-1-aziridinyl)phosphinate (AB-163) are potent antitumor agents which have also been demonstrated to be radiation sensitizers in experimental and clinical studies. Monophenyl aziridines and various isomers of diphenylaziridines were utilized. Optically active 2-phenyl aziridine was also employed in order to prepare diastereomerically homogeneous compounds. Para-substituted phenylaziridines were prepared as well and converted to the corresponding phosphoraziridines in order to probe electronic effects of such substituents on biological activity and chemical reactivity. The hydrolysis of 2,2-dimethylaziridine-type compounds including AB-132 and AB-163 was studied by NMR in order to gain further insight into the hydrolytic intermediates which may be responsible for the known cholinesterase inhibition and the suspected phosphorylation of radiation-damaged DNA. Comparative reactivities of the compounds prepared in this study with p-nitrobenzylpyridine were investigated so as to provide some indication of potential alkylating activity, in the hope of obtaining a correlation with biological activity. Electron spin resonance was utilized to study the effects of radiation on phosphoraziridine crystals.
OSTI ID:
6766435
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English