N, N BIS (2-Chloroethyl) Amine HCL CAS No. 821-48-7

Bis(2-chloroethyl)amine hydrochloride (synonyms: HN2 hydrochloride, mechlorethamine hydrochloride, nitrogen mustard hydrochloride) is a white to off-white crystalline alkylating compound with the molecular formula CHClNHCl, formed as the hydrochloride salt of bis(2-chloroethyl)amine. It is highly reactive due to the presence of two chloroethyl groups that can form highly electrophilic aziridinium ions, enabling it to alkylate nucleophilic sites in biomolecules such as DNA. This bifunctional alkylating property makes it historically significant as one of the first nitrogen mustards used in chemotherapy. Medically, it has been used in the treatment of certain cancers including lymphomas (notably Hodgkin lymphoma) and in topical formulations for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, while in research and chemical synthesis it serves as an intermediate for preparing other nitrogen mustard derivatives.