4-Benzylpiperidine is a

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhala ...

and research chemical used in scientific studies. It acts as a monoamine

releasing agent A monoamine releasing agent (MRA), or simply monoamine releaser, is a drug that induces the synapse, release of a monoamine neurotransmitter from the synapse, presynaptic neuron into the synapse, leading to an increase in the extracellular conc ...

with 20- to 48-fold selectivity for releasing

dopamine Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. Dopamine constitutes about 80% o ...

versus

serotonin Serotonin () or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Its biological function is complex and multifaceted, modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and numerous physiological processes such as vomiting and va ...

. It is most efficacious as a releaser of norepinephrine, with an ec50 of 109/41.4/5246nM for DA/NE/5HT, respectively . It has a fast onset of action and a short duration. It also functions as a

monoamine oxidase Monoamine oxidases (MAO) () are a family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of monoamines, employing oxygen to clip off their amine group. They are found bound to the outer membrane of mitochondria in most cell types of the body. The firs ...

inhibitor Inhibitor or inhibition may refer to: In biology * Enzyme inhibitor, a substance that binds to an enzyme and decreases the enzyme's activity * Reuptake inhibitor, a substance that increases neurotransmission by blocking the reuptake of a neurotra ...

(MAOI) with preference for MAO-A.

Synthesis

4-Cyanopyridine can be reacted with toluene to give 4-benzylpyridine.

Catalytic hydrogenation Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen (H2) and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as nickel, palladium or platinum. The process is commonly employed to reduce or saturate organic ...

of the pyridine ring then completes the synthesis.

References

Stimulants 4-Piperidinyl compounds Designer drugs Norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agents {{nervous-system-drug-stub

Synthesis

See also

References