Category: Chemistry Videos
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Total Synthesis Of Cocaine (Wilstätter)
Did you know that while Coca Cola was getting consumers casually coked up in the late 19th century, chemistry titans were fighting an epic battle around cocaine synthesis? With a Nobel Prize on the line, the stakes were high, cocaine’s structural complexity was high… and everybody else was high too. Keep reading to learn more…
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SN2 Reaction Explanation & Mechanism
Do you struggle to comprehend the SN2 mechanism, or the difference between SN2 vs SN1? You are not alone! All of us need models and practice to understand what the molecules look like in their 3D structure. On my channel, you can find some more visual explanations and animations that might help. SN2 Mechanism: it…
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Theoretical MDMA Synthesis in 3 Steps (Organic Chemistry)
In this post, we will look at MDMA’s history and its chemical syntheses. We will dispel myths about MDMA’s discovery and review the first kilo-gram scale MDMA synthesis published in a journal. We also dissect impressive recent clinical data that suggest ecstasy might help up to millions of people affected by PTSD. This might not…
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Theoretical LSD Synthesis in 7 Steps (Organic Chemistry)
Previously, we discussed the history and total syntheses of lysergic acid. This is the precursor of the psychoactive drug lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD. These old-school and new-school syntheses were quite cool but they are quite lengthy, consisting of more than a dozen individual chemical steps.Well, a team of chemists recently reported a synthesis of LSD in only 6 laboratory steps!…
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Thalidomide Tragedy: Horror Drug or Miracle?
The thalidomide tragedy was the biggest “man-made disaster apart from war”. This molecule’s structure looks simple and innocent, but a chiral carbon gives rise to two enantiomers with different pharmacological effects. While one isomer was a safe sedative, the other one led to limb malformations in thousands of babies. We will check out how this…
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What is KEKulene and is it Super-Aromatic? Organic Chemistry
If you took any chemistry classes ever, you’ve heard that benzene is particularly stable due to its aromaticity. Well, benzene is cute but it pales in comparison to the massive Kekulene. It’s so apolar and insoluble that you can only dissolve it in spicily hot solvents and need to measure your NMR spectra in custom-made…
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Synthesis of Psilocybin and How Magic Mushrooms Rewire Brain Networks
Did you know that the active chemical in magic mushrooms psilocybin can rewire and make the human brain more flexible, translating into major therapeutic benefit in depression and other conditions? This has led to Australia approving specific medicinal use of psychedelics as the first country. You will be surprised to hear that psilocybin can be…
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Synthesis and Chemistry of Ibogaine
The psychedelic ibogaine has built a reputation as an anti-addiction magic bullet. By now even have the Wolf of Wallstreet vouching for it. Drug manufacturers who fuelled the opioid crisis are forced to blow billions on lawsuit settlements. The state of Kentucky recently announced they might use double-digit millions for ibogaine research. Maybe you’ve heard…