Further studies on polycyclic arene sulfides.: Preparation and mutagenic activity of 9,10,10a,11a-tetrahydrotriphenyleno[1,2-b]thiirene, 1a,2,3,10b-tetrahydro-5H-thiereno[3,4]benzo[1,2-b]fluorene and 1a,2,3,11b-tetrahydroacenaphtho[1′,2′:6,7] naphth[1,2-b] thiirene

The title compounds 6, 8 and 10, which are dihydroarene sulfides of the environmental pollutants triphenylene, benzo[b]fluorene and benzo[k]fluoranthene, have been synthesized from the corresponding epoxides and N,N-dimethylthioformamide. The mutagenicity of the episulfides has been investigated using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100. While compounds 6 and 10 were mutagenic, the tetrahydrobenzo[b]fluorene episulfide 8 was inactive.