A new bactericidal lead structure for the protection of materials.

Our search for a new broad spectrum bactericide for preserving materials lead to the discovery of a highly active bicyclic amine (1) and a number of derivatives. The synthesis and biological evaluation as well as a first toxicological assessment of these compounds are described. Compound 1 shows strong bactericidal activity down to levels of below 100 ppm but unfortunately increases the number of mutations in Ames tests.