Synthesis and Molecular Properties of Nerve Agent Reactivator HLo-7 Dimethanesulfonate

The threat of a deliberate release of chemical nerve agents has underscored the need to continually improve field effective treatments for these types of poisonings. The oxime containing HLO-7 is a potential second-generation therapeutic reactivator. A synthetic process for HLO-7 is detailed with improvements to the DIBAL reduction and ion exchange steps. HLo-7 was visualized for the first time within the active site of human acetylcholinesterase and its relative ex vivo potency confirmed against various nerve agents using a phrenic nerve hemidiaphragm assay.