Phenyl acetate derivatives, fluorine-substituted on the phenyl group, as rapid recovery hypnotic agents with reflex depression

•Fluorine-containing phenyl acetate derivatives with improved hypnotic potencies were synthesized.•Compound 55 showed apparently longer duration of LORR and maintained the rapid recovery.•Compound 55 showed NMDA binding and the reflex depression effect.

We report the synthesis of novel, potentially hypnotic fluorine-substituted phenyl acetate derivatives. We describe the structure–activity relationship that led us to the promising derivative: ethyl 2-(4-(2-(diethylamino)-2-oxoethoxy)-5-ethoxy-2-fluorophenyl) acetate (55). The unique pharmacological features of compound 55 are its relatively high affinity for the GABAA receptor, together with a unique affinity for the NMDA receptor, different to propanidid and AZD3043. In animal models, compound 55 showed stronger hypnotic potency and longer duration of LORR than propanidid and AZD3043, but also maintained a rapid recovery time to walking and behavioral recovery. In particular, compound 55 displayed reflex depression during infusion.

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