Hexamethylenetetramine carboxyborane: synthesis, structural characterization and CO releasing properties

Carbon monoxide, although widely known as a toxic gas, has received great attention in the past few decades due to its promising role as a medical gas. Several classes of carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs) have been synthesised with many of them having pharmacological activities under physiological conditions. Herein, we report the synthesis and structural characterization of the first example of amine carboxyborane that releases CO under physiological conditions without the aid of inducers. A representative compound hexamethylenetetramine carboxyborane (HMTA-CB) described here has a half-life of 2.7 days and gradually releases CO with the rate constant of 3.0 × 10^-6 s^-1. Its ability to promote cell growth shows the beneficial effect of slow CO release to supplement CO in small amounts over time.