Pharma & Specialty Chemical Standards

Dopamine, a catecholamine neurotransmitter with the IUPAC name 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzene-1,2-diol (C8H11NO2, molecular weight 153.18 g/mol), is a substituted benzene ring with a catechol moiety and an aminoethyl side chain. It functions as a precursor to norepinephrine and epinephrine, and as a neurotransmitter agonist at dopamine receptors. Therapeutically, it is used in Parkinson’s disease and hypotension management. Dopamine exhibits weak basicity (pKa ~8.9), water solubility, and susceptibility to oxidation. Its mechanism involves enhancing synaptic dopamine levels via reuptake inhibition and vesicular release stimulation. Physicochemically, it is a white, hygroscopic solid with a melting point of ~126°C.