1Phenylethylamine

1-Phenylethylamine is an organic compound with the chemical formula C8H11N. It is a primary amine derived from ethylbenzene by the replacement of one hydrogen atom of the ethyl group with an amino group. This molecule is chiral, meaning it exists as two enantiomers, (R)-1-phenylethylamine and (S)-1-phenylethylamine. These enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. The racemate, a 50:50 mixture of both enantiomers, is also commonly encountered.

The physical properties of 1-phenylethylamine include being a colorless to pale yellow liquid with a characteristic amine odor. It is soluble in water and miscible with many organic solvents. Its basicity is typical of primary amines.

1-Phenylethylamine finds application as a chiral resolving agent in the separation of racemic mixtures of carboxylic acids. By forming diastereomeric salts with the acid enantiomers, which have different physical properties, the individual enantiomers of the acid can be isolated. It is also used as a precursor in the synthesis of various pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. In biological contexts, phenylethylamine, a related compound, is a trace amine found in many organisms, and it is thought to function as a neuromodulator. While 1-phenylethylamine itself is not as widely studied in biological systems as phenylethylamine, its structural similarity suggests potential for interactions within biological pathways, though such roles are not definitively established for this specific compound in humans.