Amphetamine

Chemistry

Also known as

• Amfetamine
• 1-phenylpropan-2-amine
• dl-Amphetamine
• 1-Phenyl-2-aminopropane
• Desoxynorephedrine
• Norephedrane
• 300-62-9
• Elastonon

Stereoisomers

2 distinct stereoisomers are registered for this structure. This area's record is the racemate — the mixture, which is normally the form encountered.

• Amphetamine this area mixture CID 3007
• Dextroamphetamine CID 5826
• (-)-Amphetamine CID 32893

Dextroamphetamine is roughly three to four times the CNS stimulant that levoamphetamine is; levoamphetamine has proportionally more peripheral cardiovascular action. Which one you meet depends entirely on the product: dexamfetamine preparations are the single d-enantiomer, while Adderall is a fixed mixture of both.

Attribution

• Lazăr Edeleanu — first synthesis, 1887

  Published as phenylisopropylamine; its effects went unexamined for forty years.

• Gordon Alles — discovered its activity, 1929

  Established the stimulant effect by self-experiment, and patented the sulfate salt sold as Benzedrine.