Ketamine - 2

Chemistry

Ketamine is
2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-(methylamino) cyclohexanone (hydrochloride):
ketamine 2D structure

In 3 dimensions:
ketamine 3D structure

Rotatable 3D model (download free MDL Chime plug-in to view):


Ketamine has a chiral center and is presently marketed as the racemic mixture of its two (mirror-image) enantiomers or enantiomorphs:
S-(+)-ketamine R-(-)-ketamine
S-(+)-ketamine R-(-)-ketamine
Structure-activity relationship:
ketamine structure-activity relationship
Ketamine, molecular weight 238, is partially water soluble at pH 7.4 (pKa 7.5), and 5 to 10 times more lipid soluble than thiopental.
The commercial preparation (Ketalar) is a racemic mixture of (SR)-ketamine in NaCl solution with pH 3.5 to 5.5 and is prepared in three concentrations of ketamine: 10, 50 and 100 mg/ml, with benzethonium chloride added as a preservative.



Greg Gordon MD
Updated: