Phenethylamine (PEA) is an organic compound, natural monoamine alkaloid, and trace amine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. In the brain, phenethylamine regulates monoamine neurotransmission by binding to trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) and inhibiting vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) in monoamine neurons. To a lesser extent, it also acts as a neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system. In mammals, phenethylamine is produced from the amino acid L-phenylalanine by the enzyme aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase via enzymatic decarboxylation. In addition to its presence in mammals, phenethylamine is found in many other organisms and foods, such as chocolate, especially after microbial fermentation.
3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine is an empathogen-entactogen, psychostimulant, and psychedelic drug of the amphetamine family that is encountered mainly as a recreational drug. In terms of pharmacology, MDA acts most importantly as a serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA). In most countries, the drug is a controlled substance and its possession and sale are illegal.
2C-TFM is a psychedelic phenethylamine of the 2C family. It was first synthesized in the laboratory of David E. Nichols. It has also been called 2C-CF3, a name derived from the Para-trifluoromethyl group it contains.
2,5-Dimethoxy-4-ethylamphetamine is a psychedelic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin, and was described in his book PiHKAL.
2C (2C-x) is a general name for the family of psychedelic phenethylamines containing methoxy groups on the 2 and 5 positions of a benzene ring. Most of these compounds also carry lipophilic substituents at the 4 position, usually resulting in more potent and more metabolically stable and longer acting compounds. Most of the currently known 2C compounds were first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin in the 1970s and 1980s and published in his book PiHKAL. Shulgin also coined the term 2C, being an acronym for the 2 carbon atoms between the benzene ring and the amino group.
Substituted methylenedioxy- phenethylamines (MDxx) are a large chemical class of derivatives of the phenethylamines, which includes many psychoactive drugs that act as entactogens, psychedelics, and/or stimulants, as well as entheogens. These agents are used as research chemicals, designer drugs and as recreational substances.
4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-1-benzylpiperazine (2C-B-BZP) is a psychoactive drug and research chemical of the piperazine chemical class which has been sold as a "designer drug". It produces stimulant effects similar to those of benzylpiperazine (BZP).
2C-YN is an analog of phenethylamine that can be synthesized from 2C-I. Very little data exists about the pharmacological properties, metabolism, and toxicity of 2C-YN, although Daniel Trachsel lists it as having a dosage of around 50mg and a duration of around 2 hours, with relatively mild psychedelic effects.
2,5-Dimethoxy-4-fluoroamphetamine (DOF) is a psychedelic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine classes. Alexander Shulgin briefly describes DOF in his book PiHKAL:
Animal studies that have compared DOF to the highly potent DOI and DOB imply that the human activity will be some four to six times less than these two heavier halide analogues.
4-Substituted-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamines (DOx) is a chemical class of substituted amphetamine derivatives featuring methoxy groups at the 2- and 5- positions of the phenyl ring, and a substituent such as alkyl or halogen at the 4- position of the phenyl ring. Most compounds of this class are potent and long-lasting psychedelic drugs, and act as highly selective 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C receptor partial agonists. A few bulkier derivatives such as DOAM have similarly high binding affinity for 5-HT2 receptors but instead act as antagonists, and so do not produce psychedelic effects though they retain amphetamine-like stimulant effects.
25C-NBOMe is a psychedelic drug and derivative of the psychedelic phenethylamine 2C-C. 25C-NBOMe appeared on online vendor sites in 2010 but was not reported in the literature until 2011. It acts as a potent agonist for the 5HT2A receptor, and has been studied in its 11C radiolabelled form as a potential ligand for mapping the distribution of 5-HT2A receptors in the brain, using positron emission tomography (PET).
5-MeO-NBpBrT is a N-substituted member of the methoxytryptamine family of compounds. Like other such compounds it acts as an antagonist for the 5-HT2A receptor, with a claimed 100x selectivity over the closely related 5-HT2C receptor. While N-benzyl substitution of psychedelic phenethylamines often results in potent 5-HT2A agonists, it had been thought that N-benzyl tryptamines show much lower efficacy and are either very weak partial agonists or antagonists at 5-HT2A, though more recent research has shown stronger agonist activity for 3-substituted benzyl derivatives. Extending the benzyl group to a substituted phenethyl can also recover agonist activity in certain cases.
2C-T-16 is a lesser-known psychedelic drug. It was originally named by Alexander Shulgin as described in his book PiHKAL, however while Shulgin began synthesis of this compound he only got as far as the nitrostyrene intermediate, and did not complete the final synthetic step. Synthesis of 2C-T-16 was finally achieved by Daniel Trachsel some years later, and it was subsequently reported as showing similar psychedelic activity to related compounds, with a dose range of 10–25 mg and a duration of 4–6 hours, making it around the same potency as the better-known saturated analogue 2C-T-7, but with a significantly shorter duration of action. Binding studies in vitro showed 2C-T-16 to have a binding affinity of 44nM at 5-HT2A and 15nM at 5-HT2C. 2C-T-16 and related derivatives are potent partial agonists of the 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B and 5-HT2C receptors and induce a head-twitch response in mice.
3C-DFE is a lesser-known psychedelic drug, which is a fluorinated derivative of 3C-E. It was first synthesised by Daniel Trachsel in 2002, and has been reported as showing similar psychedelic activity to related compounds, with a dose range of around 20–40 mg and a duration of approximately 10 hours. Despite its reported psychedelic activity, binding studies in vitro showed 3C-DFE to have a surprisingly weak binding affinity of 2695 nM at 5-HT2A with negligible affinity at 5-HT2C, making it only slightly higher affinity than mescaline, despite its higher potency in vivo.
2-Bromomescaline (2-Br-M) is a derivative of the phenethylamine hallucinogen mescaline which has an unusual 2-bromo substitution. It is an agonist for serotonin receptors, with a binding affinity of 215 nM at 5-HT1A, 513 nM at 5-HT2A and 379 nM at 5-HT2C, so while it is around ten times more tightly binding than mescaline at 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, it is over twenty times more potent at 5-HT2C.
Trifluoromescaline (TF-M) is a derivative of the phenethylamine hallucinogen mescaline, which has a trifluoromethoxy group replacing the central methoxy group of mescaline. Synthesis of this compound was first reported by Daniel Trachsel in 2011, alongside many other related compounds. Trifluoromescaline was found to be one of the most potent compounds in the series, with a reported dosage of 15-40mg, and a slow onset of action and long duration of effects, lasting 14-24 hours or more.
The 25-NB (25x-NBx) series, sometimes alternatively referred to as the NBOMe compounds, is a family of serotonergic psychedelics. They are substituted phenethylamines and were derived from the 2C family. They act as selective agonists of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. The 25-NB family is unique relative to other classes of psychedelics in that they are, generally speaking, extremely potent and relatively selective for the 5-HT2A receptor.
2C-TFE is a lesser-known psychedelic drug related to compounds such as 2C-E and 2C-TFM. It was first synthesised by Daniel Trachsel, and is reportedly a potent psychedelic with an active dose in the 5-15mg range, and a long duration of action of 12-24 hours.
4C-B is a lesser-known psychedelic drug which is related to 2C-B and DOB. It is a reasonably potent 5-HT2A receptor partial agonist with a Ki of 7.6nM, but has relatively low efficacy. It is briefly mentioned in Alexander Shulgin's book PiHKAL but was never tested by him, however it has subsequently been tested by other researchers and was found to be active in a dose range of 50-80mg with a duration of around 8 hours, though with generally milder effects than 2C-B or DOB.
3C-MAL is a psychedelic phenethylamine with structural similarities to methallylescaline. Little information exists on the human pharmacology of 3C-MAL and it has little-to-no history of human use. The hydrochloride salt is a white crystal with a melting point of 159–160 °C (318–320 °F).
