Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Am I stupid?

George23 - 13-4-2014 at 16:20

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zingerone

C11H14O3 + NH3 --> C11H17NO3 (?)

Im interested in chemistry and just beginning studies. So I'm not very educated since school have been for 1 month perhaps. However, hypotetical ofcourse - if these two reacted could this be transformed somehow to an isomer of mescaline :o Wierd... Maybe the authorities should open up their eyes for ginger oil in that case ;) Heard in school mescaline and LSD made a man believe he was an orange in need to be peeled with an cheese slicer :(

Etaoin Shrdlu - 13-4-2014 at 16:28

You're not stupid, but you're not even wrong, either. Take a look at the chemical structures of mescaline and zingerone. Molecular formulas alone don't help much with organic chemistry.

Chemosynthesis - 13-4-2014 at 16:31

This should be posted in Beginnings because you don't cite any peer-reviewed reference in your post.
Isomers usually don't act in pharmacologically similar manners. Stereoisomers can exhibit different scents, pharmacological effects, and optical characteristics. Conformational isomers can differ more radically, with altered colligative properties and chemical reactivities.

Ax165Xj - 13-4-2014 at 19:31

It would be quite a bit more difficult than just adding ammonia. You would need to add a methoxy to the ring, methylate the hydroxy group (probably with dimethyl sulfate, a chemical weapon), and replace the ending ketone group with an amine.