Methylenedioxycathinone
3,4-Methylenedioxycathinone, also known as β-keto-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, is an entactogen and stimulant drug of the phenethylamine, amphetamine, and cathinone families related to methylone. It is the β-keto analogue of MDA.
Like methylone, MDC is a serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent. In contrast to MDA and MDMA, MDC shows no activity at the serotonin 5-HT2 receptors, but does retain much weaker affinity for the rodent trace amine-associated receptor 1.
The drug was patented as an antidepressant and antiparkinsonian agent by Peyton Jacob III and Alexander Shulgin in 1996. MDC and other non-N-substituted cathinones such as cathinone itself are chemically unstable due rapidly forming biologically inactive dimers and this has limited their prevalence.