What molecule am I?
2-Phenylethylamine is a water-soluble amine with a fishy odor. It is often referred to simply as 鈥減henethylamine鈥�, but that can also be interpreted as 1-phenylethylamine1.
2-Phenylethylamine occurs widely in nature: in animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria alike. It has been known since at least 1890; and it was synthesized in 1909 by Treat B. Johnson and Herbert H. Guest at Yale University (New Haven, CT) via the with sodium in ethanol. Later synthetic methods included benzyl cyanide reduction with hydrogen over a Raney nickel catalyst and the with lithium aluminum hydride.
2-Phenylethylamine is a central nervous system stimulant and is related to many psychoactive compounds such as the amphetamines and catecholamines. Noted (and controversial) chemist/psychopharmacologist Alexander Shulgin performed extensive research on 2-phenylethylamine derivatives, including 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), best known by its street name, 鈥渆cstasy鈥�.
Earlier this year, Narciso M. Garrido and colleagues at the University of Salamanca (Spain) published a review of . Their article focused on open-chain, flexible derivatives such as the catecholamines dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine, compared with constrained polycyclics such as morphine and berberine.
1. CAS Reg. No. 618-36-0.
2-Phenylethylamine hazard information
| Hazard class* | GHS code and hazard statement | |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquids, category 4 | H227鈥擟ombustible liquid |  |
| Corrosive to metals, category 1 | H290鈥擬ay be corrosive to metals |  |
| Acute toxicity, oral, category 3 | H301鈥擳oxic if swallowed |  |
| Skin corrosion/irritation, category 1B | H314鈥擟auses severe skin burns and eye damage | |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation, category 1 | H318鈥擟auses serious eye damage | |
| Short-term (acute) aquatic hazard, category 3 | H402鈥擧armful to aquatic life | |
*Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.聽.
MOTW updates
Quercetin1 was the Molecule of the Week for December 9, 2013. It is a plant flavonoid that is used as a supplement to treat various health conditions. The US Food and Drug Administration designates it as 鈥済enerally recognized as safe鈥� but has not approved it for any medical use. In a report earlier this month, Xingtao Zhou, Shaoping Nie, and co-workers at Nanchang University (China) found that quercetin caused by acrylamide, a common contaminant in carbohydrate-rich foods that are processed at high temperatures. The researchers鈥� analysis showed that quercetin reversed the ferroptosis signaling pathway upregulated by acrylamide.
Zinc oxide2 (ZnO) was the Molecule of the Week for September 22, 2014. It is a widely used inorganic compound, with applications in pigments, ceramics, medicines, and sunscreens. In recent years, it has been used as a wide鈥揵and gap semiconductor for optical and electronic applications. This month, Unnikrishnan Manju and co-workers at the CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (Bhubaneswar) and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (Ghaziabad, both in India) described the influence of pressure on the of ZnO nanoparticles and the effect of these factors on the particles鈥� optical properties.
Naproxen3 was the Molecule of the Week for May 18, 2009. Its sodium salt is the active ingredient in Aleve and other over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation. This month, Xiaohong Guan and collaborators at Tongji University and East China Normal University (both in Shanghai) reported an entirely different use for naproxen. They described a method for using the compound in turn-on chemiluminescent probes for in oxidation processes for wastewater treatment that use the radical anion.
1. CAS Reg. No. 117-39-5.
2. CAS Reg. No. 1314-13-2.
3. CAS Reg. No. 22204-53-1.
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2-笔丑别苍测濒别迟丑测濒补尘颈苍别听
fast facts
| CAS Reg. No. | 64-04-0 |
| SciFinder nomenclature | Benzeneethanamine |
| Empirical formula | C8H11N |
| Molar mass | 121.18 g/mol |
| Appearance | Colorless liquid |
| Boiling point | 197鈥�198 掳C |
| Water solubility | 63 g/L (25 掳C) |
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