The photolysis of O-methylcytosine in phosphate solutions

Abstract

Ultraviolet irradiation of solutions of 27 pyrimidine derivatives in the presence and absence of inorganic orthophosphate demonstrated a "phosphate effect" in only four cases. Each of these had a methyl or methoxyl group at position 2 and an amino group at position 4 of the pyrimidine ring. Ultraviolet irradiation of solutions of 4-amino-2-methoxypyrimidine containing inorganic orthophosphate gave two major photoproducts, neither of which contained a cyanide group. One was an aliphatic compound described previously, the other apparently a pyrimidine.