Interaction of methimazole with I2: X-ray crystal structure of the charge transfer complex methimazole-I2. implications for the mechanism of action of methimazole-based antithyroid drugs.

The antithyroid drug methimazole (MMI) reacts with molecular iodine to form, in a multistep process, 1-methylimidazole as final product. In this process, the charge transfer complex MMI-I 2 and the ionic disulfide [(C 4H 6N 2S-) 2] (2+) ( 1, dication MMI disulfide) have been isolated and their X-ray crystal structures solved. Dication MMI disulfide perchlorate acts effectively both in reducing I 2 to I (-) ions and in showing antioxidant properties in inactivating the enzyme lactoperoxidase compound I.