Isopropoxate

Isopropoxate

Identifiers
IUPAC name propan-2-yl 3-(1-phenylethyl)imidazole-4-carboxylate
CAS Number	792842-51-4
PubChem CID	201927
ChemSpider	174854
UNII	8XSU5C0VWZ
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C15H18N2O2
Molar mass	258.321 g·mol^−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES CC(C)OC(=O)C1=CN=CN1C(C)C2=CC=CC=C2
InChI InChI=1S/C15H18N2O2/c1-11(2)19-15(18)14-9-16-10-17(14)12(3)13-7-5-4-6-8-13/h4-12H,1-3H3 Key:SEKLTEXFLCQQIM-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Isopropoxate is an anesthetic drug related to etomidate, which has been sold as a designer drug as an active ingredient in e-cigarette liquids marketed under names such as space oil or kpods. While the related n-propyl ester propoxate has been known since the 1970s, the isopropyl ester isopropoxate is a novel compound which was previously unknown prior to its detection as a designer drug in China in January 2024. It was added to the controlled drug list in China in July 2024, following which a number of other etomidate analogues have continued to appear.^[1][2][3][4]

References

1. Cheung YT, Yeung CW, Yu KY, Lau CY, Tong HF, Chong YK (January 2025). "A recent increasing occurrence of etomidate and propoxate/isopropoxate misuse". Clinical Toxicology. 63 (1): 65–67. doi:10.1080/15563650.2024.2423834. PMID 39600244.
2. Zhang X, Chen Y, Liu J, Wang M, Dai Y, Zhao K, et al. (July 2025). "Identification of a novel imidazole-derived GABA agonist isopropoxate: simultaneous detection and quantification of imidazole-derived analogs from human hairs in abused cases by LC-MS/MS". Forensic Toxicology. 43 (2): 190–205. doi:10.1007/s11419-024-00707-y. PMID 39668300.
3. Cheung YT, Lau CY, Tseung JS, Yu KY, Cheung HN, Shek CC, et al. (August 2025). "Acquired 11β-Hydroxylase deficiency in etomidate and (Iso)propoxate abusers: A nascent endocrine condition". Steroids. 220 109639. doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2025.109639. PMID 40451601.
4. Substance details: Isopropoxate. UNODC, 2025