Abstract: New psoralen compounds have been synthesized. The compounds all include the addition of substituent groups at the 4' position on the basic trioxsalen structure. Specifically, the compounds have the structure: ##STR1## wherein X may be any desired substituent such as halogenated alkyls, alcohols, ethers, aminoalkyls, etc. The new substituted psoralens exhibit high solubility in aqueous solution and low dissociation constants from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), as well as a reactivity with ribonucleic acids (RNA). The psoralen-DNA and psoralen-RNA adducts are useful as a substrate for studying the secondary structures of nucleic acids.

Abstract: New psoralen compounds have been synthesized. The compounds all include the addition of substituent groups at the 4'-position on the basic trioxsalen structure. Specifically, the compounds have the structure ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## where R is a mono or dicyclic radical which can contain one additional hetero atom in the nitrogen containing ring.The new substituted psoralens exhibit high solubility in aqueous solution and low dissociation constants from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), as well as a reactivity with ribonucleic acids (RNA).

Abstract: New psoralen compounds have been synthesized. The compounds all include the addition of substituent groups at the 4' position on the basic trioxsalen structure. Specifically, the compounds have the structure: ##STR1## wherein X may be any desired substituent such as halogenated alkyls, alcohols, ethers, aminoalkyls, etc. The new substituted psoralens exhibit high solubility in aqueous solution and low dissociation constants from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), as well as a reactivity with ribonucleic acids (RNA). Such psoralen compounds find use in the study of secondary structures of nucleic acids; as inhibitors of RNA replication; in the inactivation of viruses; and in the photo chemotherapy of psoriasis.