Synthesis and evaluation of 3-aminopropionyl substituted fentanyl analogues for opioid activity
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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Fentanyl Analog Screening using LC-TIMS-TOF MS/MS
Published on: November 8, 2024
Ravil R Petrov1, Ruben S Vardanyan, Yeon S Lee
1Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Abstract:
An enkephalin analogue coupled to 'aminofentanyl' has been synthesized and tested for biological activities at the mu and delta opioid receptors. Aminofentanyl which represents a structural derivative of fentanyl has been synthesized by acylation of 1-(2-phenethyl)-4-(N-anilino)piperidine with phthaloyl protected beta-alaninyl chloride in the presence of DIPEA, followed by deprotection with hydrazine hydrate. Aminofentanyl has also been successfully acylated with ethyl isocyanate, various acid anhydrides, to further investigate structure-activity relationships of these new fentanyl derivatives. Among the new derivatives compound 7 which carries a Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe opioid message sequence showed good opioid affinity (1 nM at both delta and mu opioid receptors) and bioactivity (34.9 nM in MVD and 42 nM in GPI/LMMP bioassays).
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