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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: p104 on May 22, 2016, 08:12:51 PM

Title: Chemical Difference between Oxycodone and Heroin? Opioid Project.
Post by: p104 on May 22, 2016, 08:12:51 PM

For a school project discussing opioids.

Diagram of the molecular structure of both: https://painpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/her-mor-oxy.jpg

Chemical Equations:
Oxycodone: C18H21NO4
Heroin (Diacetylmorphine): C21H23NO5

Other than Oxy being 3 Carbons away from Heroin (etc.), can someone help me with both the basic chemical and structural differences between the two? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Title: Re: Chemical Difference between Oxycodone and Heroin? Opioid Project.
Post by: Arkcon on May 22, 2016, 08:21:32 PM

There is another difference, its highlighted in your image.  Do you know what it means?  Also, "3 carbons away" means what?  Do those carbons come with something else?  What are they replaced with?

I hope you don't mind me answering your questions with more questions, but that's what we do here.  Its all detailed in the Forum Rules{click} (http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=65859.0)

Title: Re: Chemical Difference between Oxycodone and Heroin? Opioid Project.
Post by: p104 on May 22, 2016, 08:27:37 PM

The difference is highlighted between Oxycodone and Morphine, not Oxycodone and Heroin. I also understand that they both share a very similar chemical formula (as they both belong to the same family of opioids). I also see that the two are two Hydrogens away and 1 Nitric Oxide group from being the same.