science

Tomscaline

Tomscaline is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tomscaline rather than just read about it. In short: Tomscaline is a serotonin 5-HT2 receptor modulator of the phenethylamine and scaline families related to TCB-2. It is a cyclized phenethylamine and derivative of the psychedelic drug mescaline where the side chain has been cyclized with the benzene ring to form a benzocyclobutene ring system.

Key takeaways

Tomscaline belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Tomscaline to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Tomscaline from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tomscaline is a serotonin 5-HT2 receptor modulator of the phenethylamine and scaline families related to TCB-2. It is a cyclized phenethylamine and derivative of the psychedelic drug mescaline where the side chain has been cyclized with the benzene ring to form a benzocyclobutene ring system.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics Tomscaline shows affinity for the serotonin 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, and 5-HT1A receptors. Its affinities (Ki) were 111 nM for the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, 56 nM for the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor, and 160 nM for the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor. Compared to mescaline, tomscaline showed 3.3-fold higher affinity for the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, 6.8-fold higher affinity for the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor, and 18.4-fold higher affinity for the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor. Its functional activities at these serotonin receptors and its effects in animals and humans do not appear to have been studied.

Chemistry

Analogues Analogues of tomscaline include TCB-2, 2CBCB-NBOMe, jimscaline, and bromotomscaline, among others. Bromotomscaline, which is a derivative of tomscaline, shows dramatically or more than 10-fold higher affinities for the serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors than tomscaline itself.

History Tomscaline was first described in the scientific literature by Daniel Trachsel and colleagues in their 2013 book Phenethylamine: von der Struktur zur Funktion (Phenethylamines: From Structure to Function). It was originally synthesized and studied by David E. Nichols and colleagues at Purdue University, who provided information about tomscaline to Trachsel and colleagues via personal communication in 2010.

Society and culture

Legal status

Canada Tomscaline is not a controlled substance in Canada as of 2025.

See also Substituted methoxyphenethylamine Cyclized phenethylamine Scaline

References

External links Tomscaline - Isomer Design

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tomscaline

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tomscaline claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tomscaline before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tomscaline ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tomscaline

In research: Tomscaline appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tomscaline in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tomscaline is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Benzocyclobutenes, Daniel Trachsel, David E. Nichols, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tomscaline outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Tomscaline in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tomscaline means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Tomscaline out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tomscaline in simple terms?

Why does Tomscaline matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tomscaline?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tomscaline.