7/5/2012 - Synthesis of Thioridazine

Thioridazine is a drug currently used as a treatment for Schizophrenia and other psychotic ailments.  The drug can also be used in the aid of people coming off of opiate withdrawal and insomnia.  After the synthesis the drug exists in the racemic form (meaning two molecules mirror images to one another), which in some cases can cause a problem (See Thalidomide), but in this case both molecules are of bio-medical importance.  The synthesis involves the combination of 2-methylthiophenothiazine with 2-(2-chloroethyl)-1-methylpiperidine through the alkylation of the nitrogen on the 2-methylthiophenothiazine by the addition of a weak base to deprotonate that nitrogen (in this case Sodium amide, NaNH₂) so that a substitution reaction can occur between the Cl and the N.

Source: Wikipedia