4C (psychedelics)


4C, also known as 4-substituted 2,5-dimethoxy-α-ethylphenethylamines, is a general name for the family of psychedelic and related phenylisobutylamines having methoxy groups at the 2 and 5 positions of the phenyl ring and a 4-position substituent. These compounds are analogues of the 2Cs and DOx drugs, but the α-alkyl chain has been further lengthed.
The most notable and well-known of the 4C drugs is Ariadne. This drug produces only threshold psychedelic effects and has been described as non-hallucinogenic or as having "the alert of a psychedelic, with none of the rest of the package". These unique properties have made Ariadne of interest for potential therapeutic applications. In contrast to Ariadne, other 4C drugs, such as 4C-B, have been reported to be more significantly psychedelic. The pharmacology of the 4C drugs has been studied and they are known to act as serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists, but with lower efficacy than other related psychedelics like the 2Cs and DOx drugs.
4C drugs have been developed and/or studied by Alexander Shulgin, Daniel Trachsel, and Michael Cunningham and colleagues.

List of 4C drugs

StructureNameChemical nameCAS #
Ariadne 1-butan-2-amine52842-59-8
4C-B1-butan-2-amine69294-23-1
4C-C1-butan-2-amine791010-74-7
4C-E1-butan-2-amine?
4C-I1-butan-2-amine758631-75-3
4C-N1-butan-2-amine775234-58-7
4C-P 1-butan-2-amine?
4C-T-21-butan-2-amine850007-13-5
4C-TFM1-butan-2-amine?

Various other 4C drugs have also been studied and described.