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#174 TP

THIOPROSCALINE; 3,5-DIMETHOXY-4-(n)-PROPYLTHIOPHENETHYLAMINE

SYNTHESIS: A solution was made of 12.1 g N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine and 13.8 g of 1,3-dimethoxybenzene in 200 mL 30-60 °C petroleum ether. This was stirred vigorously under a He atmosphere and cooled to 0 °C with an external ice bath. There was added 66 mL of 1.6 M butyllithium in hexane which produced a white granular precipitate. The reaction mixture was brought up to room temperature for a few minutes, and then cooled again to 0 °C. There was then added 15.8 g of di-(n)-propyl disulfide which changed the granular precipitate to a creamy appearance. Stirring was continued while the reaction mixture was brought up to room temperature and finally up to reflux. The reaction mixture was then added to 600 mL of dilute H2SO4. The two phases were separated, and the aqueous phase extracted with 2x75 mL Et2O. The organic phases were combined, and the solvent removed under vacuum. The residue was 24.2 g of a pale amber liquid which was distilled at 0.35 mm/Hg to give two fractions. The first boiled at 85-90 °C, weighed 0.5 g and appeared to be recovered dipropyl disulfide. The product 2-(n)-propylthio-1,3-dimethoxybenzene boiled at at 105-125 °C, and weighed 20.8 g. A small sample recrystallized from hexane had a mp of 27-28 °C. Anal. (C11H16O2S) C,H.

To a stirred solution of 19.8 g of 2-(n)-propylthio-1,3-dimethoxybenzene in 200 mL CH2Cl2 there was added 15.4 g elemental bromine dissolved in 100 mL CH2Cl2. The reaction was not exothermic, and it was allowed to stir for 1 h. The reaction mixture was washed with H2O containing sodium hydrosulfite (which rendered it nearly colorless) and finally washed with saturated brine. The solvent was removed under vacuum leaving 33.5 g of a pale yellow liquid. This was distilled at 112-120 °C at 0.3 mm/Hg to yield 4-bromo-2-(n)-propylthio-1,3-dimethoxybenzene as a pale yellow oil. Anal. (C11H15BrO2S) C,H.

To a solution of 16.8 g diisopropylamine in 100 mL anhydrous THF that was stirred under a N2 atmosphere and cooled to -10 °C with an external ice/MeOH bath, there was added in sequence 75 mL of 1.6 M butyllithium in hexane, 3.0 mL of dry CH3CN, and 8.7 g of 4-bromo-2-(n)-propylthio-1,3-dimethoxybenzene which had been dissolved in 20 mL THF. The bromo compound was added dropwise over the course of 5 min. The color became deep red-brown. Stirring was maintained for a total of 30 min while the reaction came to room temperature. It was then poured into 750 mL dilute H2SO4, the organic layer separated, and the aqueous phase extracted with 2x100 mL CH2Cl2. These extracts were pooled, washed with dilute H2SO4, and the solvent was removed under vacuum yielding a residue that was distilled. Two distillation cuts were taken at 0.3 mm/Hg. The first fraction boiled at 110-138 °C and weighed 0.7 g and was discarded. The second fraction came over at 148-178 °C and weighed 3.0 g. By thin layer chromatography this fraction was about 80% pure, and was used as such in the following reduction. A small sample was ground under methyl cyclopentane yielding white crystals of 3,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylthiophenylacetonitrile with a mp of 35.5-37.5 °C.

A solution of LAH in THF (15 mL of a 1 M solution) under N2 was cooled to 0 °C and vigorously stirred. There was added, dropwise, 0.4 mL 100% H2SO4, followed by 2.7 g 3,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylthiophenylacetonitrile dissolved in 10 mL anhydrous THF. The reaction mixture was stirred at 0 °C for a few min, then brought to a reflux for 30 min on the steam bath. After cooling back to room temperature, there was added IPA to destroy the excess hydride and 10% NaOH to bring the reaction to a basic pH and converted the aluminum oxide to a loose, white, filterable consistency. This was removed by filtration and washed with both THF and IPA. The filtrate and washes were stripped of solvent under vacuum, the residue added to 1 L dilute H2SO4. This was washed with 2x75 mL CH2Cl2, made basic with aqueous NaOH, extracted with 3x75 mL CH2Cl2, the extracts pooled, and the solvent removed under vacuum. The residue was distilled at 137-157 °C at 0.3 mm/Hg to give 1.3 g of a colorless oil. This was dissolved in 10 mL of IPA, neutralized with 20 drops of concentrated HCl and, with continuous stirring, diluted with 50 mL anhydrous Et2O. The product was removed by filtration, washed with Et2O, and air dried to give 1.4 g of 3,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylthiophenethylamine hydrochloride (TP) as bright white crystals with a mp of 164-165 °C. Anal. (C13H22ClNO2S) C,H.

DOSAGE: 20 - 25 mg.

DURATION: 10 - 15 h.

QUALITATIVE COMMENTS: (with 18 mg) There was very little effect until more than two hours, when I came inside out of the cold and jumped to an immediate +1. It is hard to define, and I am quite willing to have it develop more, and if not, quite willing to go higher next time. I got into several quite technical conversations, but through it all I was aware of a continuous alteration. There was a drop at the seventh hour, and nothing at all was left at twelve hours.

(with 27 mg) My body feels heavy. This is not a negative thing, but it is there. I feel a heavy pressure at the back of the neck, which is probably unresolved energy. The nervous system seems to be somehow vunerable. Towards the end of the experience I considered a Miltown, but settled on an aspirin, and I still couldn't sleep for about 24 hours. The imagery is extremely rich and there is quite a bit of eyes-open visual, but mostly eyes closed. I think the rewards are not worth the body price. Sometime again, maybe lower?

EXTENSIONS AND COMMENTARY: There is a high potency here, but clearly there are signs of increased toxicity as well even over the ethyl homologue, TE. The butyl compound (see TB) was the last of this series of phenethylamines and as is noted there, the physical problems lessen, but so do the psychedelic properties. The three-carbon amphetamine homologues are completely unexplored. The most reasonable starting material for these would be 4-thiosyringaldehyde, with S-alkylation and then the conventional nitroethane coupling followed with LAH reduction. The most appealing target as a potential psychedelic would be the methylthio homologue (3,5-dimethoxy-4-methylthioamphetamine, 3C-TM) or, as a potential euphoriant, the butylthio homologue (3,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-butylthioamphetamine, 3C-TB). I am not sure that these alkylthio analogues would justify the labor needed to make them.

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