10-Alkylthio- and 10-arylthio-derivatives of dithranol (anthralin;
1,8-dihydroxy-9-anthrone) are of interest in search for new anti-psoriatic
agents2 , 3 ). By working out ms procedures for unequivocal identification of
trace amounts of these compounds4 ) it was established that in case of
10-phenylthio-dithranol putative by-products, especially one giving rise to
ions at m/z = 226 (dithranol), are artefacts of thermal reaction in the mass
spectrometer1). In the EI-MS of those 10-substituted dithranols containing
a S-CH2R chain, however, these ions (m/z = 226) arise from M + * as well.
Scope and mechanism of their formation was examined by analyzing
compound 1 and its D-labelled derivatives 2 and 3.