Carbamimidothioic acid phenylmethyl ester salts and their N,N'-tetramethyl derivatives as possible antimicrobial agents.

A series of carbamimidothioic acid phenylmethyl ester salts and their N,N'-tetramethyl derivatives were synthesized, many of which exert an interesting inhibiting action on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and also on fungi. This activity is noteworthy in view of the large number of strains antagonized; the (3,4,5-trichlorophenyl) methyl ester chloride of carbamimidothioic acid appeared to be the best term of the series. The possible influence on this activity of decomposition kinetics to the corresponding mercapto-derivatives was investigated and compared with that of a series of N,N'-tetramethyl derivatives of previously studied carbamimidothioic acid phenyl ester salts.