Petroianu_2012_Pharmazie_67_874

Hydroxylamine NH2OH the substance which will turn out to be of importance to those interested in the treatment of organophosporus cholinesterase inhibitor exposure was synthesized by Wilhem Clemens Lossen in 1865 while working in Halle as an assistant in the laboratory of Wilhelm Heinrich Heintz The Lossen synthesis generated hydroxylamine in aqueous solution Anhydrous hydroxylamine was prepared almost simultaneously by Lobry de Bruyn and Crismer 1891 Using hydroxylamine as a starting point Meyer synthesized aldoximes and ketoximes 1897 Lange a PhD student of Ladenburg isolated 2-methyl-pyridine alpha-picoline Some fifty years later Wilson working in the laboratory of Nachmansohn demonstrated the ability of hydroxylamine to reactivate cholinesterase inhibited by organophosphates Finally Wilson and Ginsburg using 2-methyl-pyridine as a starting point synthesized the first pyridinium aldoxime reactivator of clinical relevance pralidoxime 1955).