Efficient and mild deamination procedure for 1-aminoanthraquinones yielding a diverse library of novel derivatives with potential biological activity

A convenient in situ method is described for reductive removal of the amino group in position 1 of the anthraquinone (AQ) moiety. The reaction proceeds smoothly within a few minutes yielding novel AQ derivatives in excellent yields. Diazonium salt formation is followed by reduction with zinc in ethanol. The method has been applied to a variety of 1-amino-AQ derivatives. It allows access to a large library of new AQ derivatives which possess potential as pharmacological tools for studying purinergic signaling, and as potential drugs, for example, for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.