STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF THE NEW POTENT DNA ALKYLATOR '-TETRAKIS(1-AZIRIDINYL)-1,3,4',4',6',6'-HEXAHYDRO

The molecular structure of spiro (2H-1,3,2-benzodiazaphosphole- 2,2',l ambda(5) [1,3,5,2,4,6] triazatriphosphorine), 4',4',6',6'-tetrakis (1- aziridinyl)-1,3,4',4',6',6'-hexahydro (CAS 133586-94-4), a recently sy nthesized potent cytostatic, was determined using X-ray diffraction me thod. The substance crystallizes in P2(1)2(1)2(1) ortho-rhombic space group. The unit cell contains 8 formal molecules coupled into 4 pseudo -centrosymmetric dimers by double intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The c ompound revealed besides previously determined long-term chemical stab ility and good water solubility, also radiation stability. In spite of having less aziridinyl groups than 1,3,5,2,4,6-triazatriphosphorine,2 ,2,4,4,6,6- hexakis (1-aziridinyl)-2,2,4,4,6,6-hexahydro (N(3)P(3)AZ(3 ), Az = aziridinyl, CAS 52-46-0; Myko 63) the compound is twice more c ytostatically active. Hypotheses attributing high cytostatic activity to the existence of conjugated pi-electron systems in the molecule and dimeric structures are discussed.