. (the latter term can denote a structure containing a bridge in the ring when so-named, unlike the above).
N.B. although the
cyclohexane conformation, if considering both the hydrogen on the plain bond and the implicit carbon on the dotted bond are not shown as positioned as would be for the least energy state inherent to what rules apply, internally, to the molecule in and of itself: possibility of movement between putative other ligand sites in suchwise, here regarding what circumstance allows for describing it as "flexed" thus mean it has shown tendency for change
in situ depending on its environment and adjacent sites of potential interaction as against its least energy state. Methylphenidate (and its derivatives) have two
chiral centers, meaning that it, and each of its analogues, have four possible
enantiomers, each with differing
pharmacokinetics and receptor binding profiles. In practice methylphenidate is most commonly used as pairs of
diastereomers rather than isolated single enantiomers or a mixture of all four isomers. Forms include the racemate, the enantiopure (
dextro or levo) of its stereoisomers;
erythro or
threo (either + or -) among its diastereoisomers, the
chiral isomers S,S; S,R/R,S or R,R and, lastly, the
isomeric conformers (which are not absolute) of either its
anti- or
gauche- rotamer. The variant with optimized efficacy is not the usually attested generic or common pharmaceutical brands (e.g. Ritalin,
Daytrana etc.) but the (R,R)-dextro-(+)-
threo-
anti (sold as
Focalin), which has a binding profile on par with or better than that of
cocaine. (Note however the measure of fivefold (5×) discrepancy in the entropy of binding at their presumed shared target binding site, which may account for the higher abuse potential of cocaine over methylphenidate despite affinity for associating;
i.e the latter dissociates more readily once bound despite efficacy for binding.) Furthermore, the energy to change between its two rotamers involves the stabilizing of the hydrogen bond between the protonated amine (of an 8.5
pKa) with the ester carbonyl resulting in reduced instances of "gauche—gauche" interactions via its favoring for activity the "anti"-conformer for putative homergic-psychostimulating pharmacokinetic properties, postulating that one inherent conformational isomer ("anti") is necessitated for the activity of the
threo diastereoisomer. Also of note is that methylphenidate in
demethylated form is acidic; a
metabolite (and precursor) known as
ritalinic acid. This gives the potential to yield a
conjugate salt form effectively protonated by a salt nearly chemically duplicate/identical to its own structure; creating a "methylphenidate
ritalinate". ==Receptor binding profiles of selected methylphenidate analogues==