4-HO-DET

4-hydroxy-n,n-diethyltryptamine (also known as 4-ho-det, cz-74, and ethocin) is a lesser-known synthetic psychedelic of the tryptamine chemical class that produces psilocin-like psychedelic effects when adminstered. 4-ho-det is a close structural and functional analog of psilocin (4-ho-dmt), the principal psychoactive component in magic mushrooms. it is notable for sharing many of its core features while retaining subtle variations in its duration, visual, cognitive and bodily effects.

this compound was first discovered in the late 1950s by albert hofmann and franz troxler in their investigation of various psychedelic compounds that were structurally and chemically related to the principle active components he isolated from magic mushrooms, psilocybin (4-po-dmt) and psilocin (4-ho-dmt). the substance was used together with its phosphoryloxy-analog 4-po-det in human clinical trials in the 1960s by the german researchers hanscarl leuner and g. baer.

since its inception, 4-ho-det has remained relatively uncommon and has very little documentation of human usage, with the majority of psychedelic users preferring more traditional psychedelics like the psilocybin and psilocin in psilocybin mushrooms, or more recently, 4-aco-dmt. today, it is either used as a recreational substance or an entheogen, has no documentation of being sold on the streets and is primarily acquired through the use of online research chemical vendors.

chemistry

4-ho-det, or 4-hydroxy-n,n-diethyltryptamine, is a synthetic indole alkaloid molecule of the tryptamine chemical class. tryptamines share a core structure comprised of a bicyclic indole heterocycle attached at r₃ to an amino group via an ethyl side chain. 4-ho-det is substituted at r₄ of its indole heterocycle with a hydroxyl functional group oh−. it also contains two ethyl chains bound to the terminal amine r_n of its tryptamine backbone (det).

4-ho-det is the lower homolog of 4-aco-det, the n-substituted diethyl homolog of 4-ho-dmt (psilocin) and the 4-hydroxy analog of det.

pharmacology

as with its structurally related tryptamines, 4-ho-det principally acts as a 5-ht_2a partial agonist, through which it exerts its psychedelic effects.

however, the role of these interactions and how they result in the psychedelic experience continues to remain an object of scientific elucidation.