[TheGardenGnome]

I'm planning on getting tattoos of some chemical compounds. I'm definitely going to get dopamine. Also considering norepinephrine, geosmin, theobromine, and vanillin. Unsure of the function of norepinephrine. As far as I know, it stimulates the production of adrenaline that makes your palms sweat, and heart race when you're in love. Not sure if I should get vanillin and theobromine, as I just want them because I love cocoa and vanilla What do you think?

Anyhow, do you know of any cool chemical compounds like these? They should be small. Not as big as for example oxytocin. Serotonin has something to do with happiness, but is tattooed on people who has overcome depression. So that one is out of the picture. And do you know anything that has to do with dreaming?

Sorry if this is not the right question for the right forum, but I couldn't find help anywhere else.

Thanks!

[TheUnassuming]

Look through neurotransmitters on Wikipedia,  good place to start.  Good opportunity to do a wiki dive and learn some science!

[Corribus]

Theobromine may be in chocolate but I don't think I'd associate it with what is great about chocolate. Unfortunately there are dozens of compounds that make up the aroma of chocolate, so it'd be a hard one to represent with a single chemical structure. 

Were it me - and it wouldn't be, but just for sake of theoretical discussion - I might go with the group of myrcene, beta-Pinene, b-caryophyllene , and humulene, four of the most prominent volatiles in hops. Were I to choose one, I'd go with humulene - derived as it is from the scientific name of the plant.

[Arkcon]

Tattoos are becoming more and more mainstream, but when I was a kid, a tattoo was about something you really, really, really cared about.   If I were to get one, it'd be a new molecule, one I'd had a hand in designing, or using in a practical application. People would see the structure, but not recognize it, and I'd mention, "Oh that, that one, that's mine.  I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it ... yet."

But don't take my advice, look at this from the ACS:  http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i3/CEN-Talks-Tattooed-Chemistry-AmbassadorRanda.html

[Furanone]

Xylitol, the sugar alcohol sweetener often used in mint gums, has an endothermic reaction when it dissolves and gives a cool sensation in your mouth. You could literally say it is a cool chemical compound.

[missmendeleev]

How about dihydrogen monoxide, also known as H₂O, or simply water?

[Dan]

What about this in a strategic position:

[mjc123]

Americans won't get it. (I once saw a serious paper on "aromaticity of arsoles"...)

[Enthalpy]

Arabinose, for the fortuitous but heavily connoted English pun?
Pyralene, for being in French both a pun and a spoonerism?

[harryroy107]

Hey that's a good idea getting tattoos if you succeed then please share with me

[kriggy]

Im seriously starting to wonder why people want to get tatoo of chemical compound and they ask what compound should they get tatooed..Makes no sense to me

[RebeccaFarrali]

So, did you ever decide on and go through with getting any chemical compound tattoos?

I personally have Dopamine, as I feel it highlights my unfortunately addictive personality.