The in vitro cytotoxicity and DNA alkylating ability of the simplest functional analogues of the seco CC-1065 alkylating subunit

The p-hydroxyphenethyl halides 1(b-d) possess the minimum structural requirements for alkylating DNA with Ar-3′ participation and exhibit in vitro cytotoxicity and DNA alkylating ability/sequence selectivity which is diminished relative to more functionalised seco analogues of the antitumor agent CC-1065 alkylating subunit.