α-PHP

1-phenyl-2-pyrrolidin-1-ylhexan-1-one

Overview

α-PHP belongs to Stimulants / Cathinones.

Key safety note: α-PHP is a potent, compulsive dopaminergic stimulant sold among the 'bath salts' / 'research chemical' stimulants.[4][3]
Effects
Subjective effects vary. What a substance feels like depends on dose, individual physiology, mindset, and setting. The points below describe commonly reported effects, not guaranteed, uniform, or desirable outcomes.
  • Intense physical and 'cognitive' euphoria, extreme stimulation, wakefulness, disinhibition, increased libido and sociability.
  • A strong compulsive urge to redose ('fiending') that drives long binges.
  • A heavy sympathomimetic load: raised heart rate and blood pressure, jaw clenching, appetite loss, vasoconstriction and hyperthermia.
  • Anxiety, paranoia and stimulant psychosis, particularly at high doses, on binges and during the comedown.
Dosing & duration
Harm-reduction note: These are commonly cited reference ranges, not a recommendation or a “safe” dose. Potency, purity, body chemistry, tolerance, and drug combinations vary widely. Start low, go slow, wait for full effects before redosing, and never assume an unknown product matches these figures. Missing data is not evidence of safety.

Oral, Insufflated. Not a recommendation. There are no controlled human dosing studies for α-PHP. It is extremely potent, active in the low milligram range orally and in single milligrams insufflated, so it must be dosed with an accurate milligram scale or volumetric solution, never eyeballed. Its fast onset and strong compulsion to redose make bingeing and overdose easy, and smoking or injecting it is especially dangerous. Insufflation is more potent than oral.

Dose ranges

Threshold

≈1 mg (oral)

Light

≈5–10 mg (oral)

Common

≈10–25 mg (oral)

Strong

≈25–40 mg (oral)

Duration

onset

≈2–20 min (oral), ≈10–30 min (insufflated)

peak

≈1–2.5 h (oral)

total

≈2–8 h (oral), after-effects up to ~48 h

Chemical & Physical Properties
FormulaC16H23NO
Molar mass245.36 g/mol
StateSolid (usually the hydrochloride salt)
Melting pointNot reported
Boiling pointNot reported
DensityNot reported
Vapor pressureNot reported
pKaNot reported
LogP4 (predicted, XLogP3)
SolubilityNot reported
Refractive indexNot reported
Identifiers & Synonyms
CAS13415-86-6
CAS (enantiomer)
PubChem CID102107923
InChIKeyKYIJLDDXQWBNGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N
InChIInChI=1S/C16H23NO/c1-2-3-11-15(17-12-7-8-13-17)16(18)14-9-5-4-6-10-14/h4-6,9-10,15H,2-3,7-8,11-13H2,1H3
SMILESCCCCC(C(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1)N2CCCC2

Synonyms

  • α-PHP
  • α-Pyrrolidinohexiophenone
  • α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone
  • PV-7
  • A-PHP
Pharmacodynamics & Biochemistry

α-PHP (α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone, also called PV-7) is a synthetic cathinone of the pyrrolidinophenone class: the one-carbon homologue of α-PVP ('flakka'). It is a potent inhibitor of dopamine and noradrenaline reuptake (DAT IC50 ≈97 nM, with comparable NET potency), acting as a pure reuptake blocker rather than a releaser, which produces powerful, long-lasting psychostimulant effects. It is strongly transporter-selective: more than 1,000-fold more potent at the dopamine transporter than at the serotonin transporter (SERT essentially inactive), so its action is heavily dopaminergic/noradrenergic with little direct serotonergic component. This dopamine-dominant profile underlies its intense euphoria, compulsive redosing and stimulant-psychosis risk. It is at least as potent as α-PVP and more potent than cocaine at DAT.

Biological targets

  • DAT
  • NET
Pharmacokinetics
BioavailabilityOral and insufflated (also smoked or injected)
TmaxFast onset (≈2–20 min oral, ≈10–30 min insufflated)
Half-lifeNot established in humans (oral effects ≈2–8 h)
VdNot reported
Protein bindingNot reported
MetabolismHepatic
ExcretionRenal (presumed)
Toxicology & Safety
Harm-reduction note: Toxicity and risk depend on dose, route, purity, combinations, setting, and individual health factors. Missing harms should never be interpreted as evidence of safety.

Not reported

α-PHP is a potent, compulsive dopaminergic stimulant sold among the 'bath salts' / 'research chemical' stimulants. Its hallmark is a strong compulsion to redose, which drives long binges with sleep deprivation, dehydration and malnutrition. Acute dangers are those of severe sympathomimetic toxicity: dangerous rises in blood pressure and heart rate, arrhythmia, hyperthermia, seizures and agitated ('excited') delirium, plus stimulant psychosis with paranoia and hallucinations: especially during binges and the comedown (reported to be somewhat less than with α-PVP, but still substantial). It has been implicated as a cause or contributor in deaths, usually in combination with other drugs. It is extremely potent, active in the low milligram range orally and in single milligrams insufflated, so it must be measured on an accurate scale and never eyeballed. Smoking or injecting sharply increase cardiovascular and dependence risk. It carries a high potential for psychological dependence. Little formal human pharmacology or toxicology data exists, and that absence must not be read as safety.[4][3]

Legal Status
Legal note: Legal status can change over time and may vary by country, region, formulation, analogue status, prescription context, and enforcement practice. Always confirm with current official sources before relying on this section.
Interactions & Contraindications

Drug interactions

Stimulants (amphetamines, cocaine) Additive cardiovascular strain and hyperthermia, with a higher risk of agitation and psychosis (amphetamines, cocaine, MDMA).[4]
MAOIs Risk of a dangerous hypertensive and serotonergic reaction.[4]
Benzodiazepines, Alcohol, Opioids Depressants taken to come down mask stimulant toxicity and carry rebound and overdose risk.[4]

Contraindications

Cardiovascular disease, hypertension or arrhythmia severe sympathomimetic strain.[4]
Personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder[4]
History of stimulant or substance use disorder or a tendency to compulsive redosing.[4]
Concurrent MAOI, SSRI/SNRI or other serotonergic medication concurrent MAOIs or serotonergic medication.[4]
Pregnancy or breastfeeding[4]
Usage & Context
  • Sold as a 'research chemical' / 'bath salt' stimulant, insufflated, smoked or injected. It rose in popularity as a successor to α-PVP ('flakka') after α-PVP was scheduled.
  • Repeatedly detected in forensic and post-mortem casework, usually alongside other drugs.
Sources & Evidence

Further Information