Butylone

Butylone, also known as β-keto-N-methylbenzodioxolylbutanamine (bk-MBDB), is an entactogen, psychedelic, and stimulant of the phenethylamine chemical class. It is the β-keto analogue of MBDB. Butylone is produced as a white crystal.

History

Butylone was first synthesized by Koeppe, Ludwig and Zeile which is mentioned in their 1967 paper. It remained an obscure product of academia until 2005 when it was synthesized by a chemical supply company, and has since continued to be sold as a research chemical. It has since been explored as a possible entheogen. Butylone shares the same relationship to MBDB as methylone does to MDMA ("Ecstasy"). The dosage range is not fully understood but seems to be lower than for MBDB. Formal research on this chemical was first conducted in 2009, when it was shown to be metabolised in a similar manner to related drugs like methylone.

Structure and Reactivity

Butylone is a CAD (Cationic amphiphilic drugs), this means that the drug has a hydrophobic section and a cationic hydrophilic section. The hydrophobic section will associate with lipid while the hydrophilic cationic section will associate with the aqueous phase. Lipophilicity of the drug can affect cell membrane permeability. The hydrophobicity allows the drug to interact with membrane receptors. The cationic nature affects movement of Na+ and Ca+ across the cell membrane.