Organophosphorus compounds are highly toxic irreversible inhibitors of cholinesterases, causing the disruption of cholinergic functions. Treatment of poisoning includes causal antidotes (oximes) used as reactivators of inhibited cholinesterases, such as pralidoxime. In this work, new halogenated oxime reactivators derived from pralidoxime were developed. The oximes were designed with a halogen substituent that lowers the pKa and enhances oximate formation. Their synthesis, stability, physicochemical properties, inhibition of native cholinesterases, and in vitro reactivation of organophosphate-inhibited cholinesterases were investigated. A series of C4 and C6 halogenated oximes showed instability and their degradation products were identified, while C3 and C5 oximes exhibited sufficient stability for the evaluation. C3 oximes displayed overall low inhibition of cholinesterases and high reactivation ability of organophosphate-inhibited cholinesterases compared to pralidoxime, indicating the significant impact of halogen substitution on reactivation ability.

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