diamidine
Diamidine is a term used to describe compounds that contain two amidine functional groups. Each amidine group has the structure RC(=NH)NH2, and in a diamidine the two amidine units are connected by a carbon-based linker, which may be aliphatic, aromatic, or heteroatom-containing. The two amidine groups render diamidines highly basic; at physiological pH they are typically doubly protonated, giving a dicationic species that strongly interacts with negatively charged biomolecules such as DNA and RNA and can cross membranes depending on substituents.
Diamidines are notable for medicinal use as antiparasitic and antimicrobial agents. Well-known examples include pentamidine, furamidine
Chemistry and properties: Diamidines are usually prepared by linking two amidine-bearing fragments with a spacer; the