Phenanthrylalkanoic acids, IV: Syntheses and antiinflammatory activity of 2-, 3-, and 9-phenanthryl- and 9-chloro-3-phenanthryl derivatives of propanoic acid.

The phenanthrylethanols 2a-d were obtained by reduction of the acetyl derivatives 1a-d and converted, through the phenanthrylethyl halides 3a-d and 4b, into the nitriles 5a-d, whose acid hydrolysis afforded the acids of the title, 6a-d. The antiinflammatory activity of these acids was measured on the carrageenin-induced edema and found as 1/3 (6a), 1/43 (6b), 1/5 (6c), and 1/7 (6d) of that of fenbufen.