2C-Te
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| Clinical data | |
|---|---|
| Other names | 2C-TE; 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methyltellurophenethylamine; 4-Methyltelluro-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine |
| Identifiers | |
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| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C11H17NO2Te |
| Molar mass | 322.86 g·mol−1 |
| 3D model (JSmol) | |
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2C-Te, also known as 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methyltellurophenethylamine, is a chemical compound of the phenethylamine and 2C families.[1] It is the analogue of the psychedelic drug 2C-Se in which the selenium (Se) atom has been replaced with a tellurium (Te) atom.[1] These elements are chalcogens, with tellurium following vertically after oxygen (O), sulfur (S), and selenium on the periodic table.[1][2] Other related compounds in the 2C-Se and 2C-Te series include 2C-O and 2C-T.[1]
In his 1991 book PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved), Alexander Shulgin synthesized and described the effects of 2C-Se.[1] He also mentioned 2C-Te in the 2C-Se entry, and said that it would be a readily makeable compound, but did not synthesize it.[1] In 2024, 2C-Se-TFM was synthesized and described by Josh Hartsel and colleagues.[3][2] An unusual property of selenium and tellurium and compounds containing them is that they are often extremely foul-smelling as well as toxic.[1][2]
In 2025, journalist and researcher Hamilton Morris disclosed that he was working on synthesis of 2C-Te and/or 2C-Te-TFM in hopes of creating the world's first tellurium-containing psychedelic.[2][4] He also mentioned that he would be releasing a documentary on this effort.[2][4] Morris has described this synthesis work as extremely challenging and difficult, due to the synthetic complexity and because of compounds involved in the synthesis being unstable and very foul-smelling.[2][4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Shulgin A, Shulgin A (September 1991). PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story. Berkeley, California: Transform Press. ISBN 0-9630096-0-5. OCLC 25627628. "From the point of view of the hetero-atom itself, there are two more known below selenium in the Periodic Table. Each deserves some special comment. The next atom, directly below selenium, is tellurium. It is more metallic, and its compounds have a worse smell yet. I heard a story about a German chemist, many years ago, who was carrying a vial of dibutyl telluride in his pocket in a passenger coach from here to there in Germany, back at about the turn of the century. It fell to the floor and broke. No one could remain in the car, and no amount of decontamination could effectively make the smell tolerable. Scratch one railway coach. But the compound, 2C-TE, would be readily makeable. Dimethyl ditelluride is a known thing."
- ^ a b c d e f Morris H (29 April 2025). "POD 126: The Return of Psychedelic Selenium with Dr. Josh Hartsel". The Hamilton Morris Podcast (Podcast). Patreon. Event occurs at 0:00–4:05, 56:50–58:18. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
[...] [Morris:] We are working again in Spain in an effort to create the world's first tellurium-containing psychedelic. But our efforts time and time again are frustrated by unbelievable circumstances. [...] [Morris:] I spent a bunch of time, you know, trying to make 2C-Te, the tellurium compound. And this chemistry is like a complete nightmare. It actually doesn't smell as bad as the selenium chemistry, but the tellurium is extremely susceptible to oxidation, photooxidation. And then you have this issue where with like a sulfur, if it oxidizes—it's not good in terms of—it represents like a degradation product that will, based on your work and work by Mike Cunningham, would reduce the potency of the compound. But there's something even worse that happens with tellurium and I think with selenium as well, which is that it then undergoes an elimination reaction after oxidation. So you get just—the molecule like dramatically decomposes and you end up with weird maybe tellurinic acids or like all kinds of weird stuff that is not—I don't think there's any way to fix it. But I want to make the trifluoromethyl tellurium compound, that's what I'm hoping to make. And my hope is that the electron-withdrawing effect of the trifluoromethyl substituent will actually reduce the susceptibility of the tellurium atom to oxidation, which I imagine it will. [...]
- ^ Varty GB, Canal CE, Mueller TA, Hartsel JA, Tyagi R, Avery K, et al. (April 2024). "Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationships of 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Substituted Phenethylamines and the Discovery of CYB210010: A Potent, Orally Bioavailable and Long-Acting Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonist". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 67 (8): 6144–6188. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01961. PMID 38593423.
- ^ a b c Chalwatzis E, Morris H (25 July 2025). Hamilton Morris On His Darkest Research Story. YouTube. Elias Experiments.
In this interview, we dive deep into what might be Hamilton Morris's darkest research story: the pursuit of tellurium-containing psychedelics. Horribly smelling, toxic, and until now, unknown compounds. [...]