Reaction of Ethylene Bromide with Trimethylamine and the Neuromuscular Blocking Activity of Ethylenebis-(Trimethylammonium)

Abstract

ALTHOUGH the neuromuscular blocking properties of alkylenebis-(trimethylammonium) salts have been much studied since the important, simultaneous reports of Barlow and Ing¹ and of Paton and Zaimis², the relative potency of ethylenebis-(trimethylammonium) (I) appears to have remained doubtful. In brief, I-dibromide, prepared by the reaction of ethylene bromide with trimethylamine, was reported to have unusually high activity comparable to that of tetramethylammonium (II) ^1,3,4. This was most remarkable in that the C₃, C₄ and C₆ bis salts were found to be almost inert. On the other hand, I-diiodide, prepared from ethylenediamine and methyl iodide⁵, was reported to display only a weak action, like that of its immediate bis-quaternary homologues².