M4E MoDRN Safer Chemicals: Examples of Safer Chemical Design I

TL;DR

This content discusses the toxicity and properties of various chemical compounds, including sephos spurs, paraquat, diquat, acrylates, benzene, and isosterism.

Transcript

okay so let's um talk about a a few examples of how we uh can think about these the sephos Spurs uh so the I'm thinking most people have had exposure to um to most of uh the these types of sethpor and types of uh uh types of drugs uh it because of these charges uh it has a very um very low Affinity to be transported um and it has U uh a lot of intr... Read More

Key Insights

• 😘 Sephos spurs have low transportation affinity and accumulate intracellularly, making their alternatives with less accumulation and neurotoxicity preferable.
• 🫁 Paraquat, previously used as a weed killer, has the potential to accumulate in the lungs and was associated with marijuana fields.
• 🫁 Diquat, similar to paraquat, exhibits less lung toxicity due to its larger spacing and reduced steric hindrance.
• 👥 Adding a methyl group to benzene significantly reduces its toxicity, minimizing risks such as hemotoxicity and leukemia.
• 💄 Replacing carbon with silicon in TDT reduces persistence and toxicity, making it less harmful to insects.
• 🥺 The electronic structure of a molecule can be altered by adding or replacing specific atoms, leading to changes in its toxicity.
• ❓ Chemical compounds, such as sephos spurs and paraquat, can have different transportation mechanisms that influence their accumulation and toxicity.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are some concerns related to the toxicity of sephos spurs?

Sephos spurs have a low affinity for transportation and can accumulate intracellularly, leading to potential health risks. Additionally, some alternatives to sephos spurs have been designed to minimize accumulation and neurotoxicity.

Q: What is the history of paraquat and why might it be familiar to some people?

Paraquat was a weed killer commonly used to eliminate marijuana fields when marijuana was illegal. With the legalization of marijuana, more people may have heard about paraquat and its potential risks.

Q: How does diquat differ from paraquat in terms of toxicity?

Diquat is similar to paraquat as an herbicide but has less lung toxicity. This is due to the larger spacing and less steric hindrance between charges in diquat, making it unable to be transported across lung barriers like paraquat.

Q: What is the significance of adding a methyl group to benzene?

Benzene is known to cause hemotoxicity and leukemia. However, adding a methyl group to benzene and changing it into toluene dramatically reduces its toxicity.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Sephos spurs have low affinity for transportation and can accumulate intracellularly, making their alternatives with less accumulation and neurotoxicity more desirable.

• Paraquat, a weed killer, accumulates in the lungs even in small amounts and was previously used on marijuana fields.

• Diquat, another herbicide, is similar to paraquat but has less lung toxicity due to its larger spacing and less steric hindrance between charges.

• Adding a methyl group to benzene reduces its toxicity, while replacing carbon with silicon in TDT makes the molecule less persistent and toxic.