Phenibut HCl is a laboratory research material supplied by Northeast Research Supply for analytical, educational, and scientific applications. This profile summarizes the chemical identity information a researcher typically needs when evaluating and documenting the material — nothing more. It is not consumption guidance of any kind.
Chemical identity
- Common name: Phenibut HCl
- Chemical name: β-Phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid hydrochloride
- Alternative name: 4-Amino-3-phenylbutyric acid hydrochloride
- Material type: laboratory research material
- Form: powder
- Intended use: laboratory, analytical, and scientific research only
The “HCl” designation indicates the hydrochloride salt form. When you receive any research material, the accompanying documentation — where applicable — is what ties the physical sample to its recorded identity and lot.
Why identity documentation matters
In a research setting, a material is only as useful as the records that describe it. Clear chemical identity supports reproducibility, accurate labeling in your inventory system, and correct hazard handling. Product pages at Northeast Research Supply state the chemical identity and the documentation available for a given item so researchers know exactly what they are purchasing.
Handling as a laboratory powder
Treat Phenibut HCl as you would any laboratory research powder: use appropriate personal protective equipment, avoid generating dust, store it according to the information provided, and keep it clearly labeled and segregated from any consumables. See our guide on storing and handling research powders.
What the molecule is
Phenibut is a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogue: the same four-carbon amino-acid backbone as GABA, carrying a phenyl ring at the 3- (β-) position. Systematically it is 4-amino-3-phenylbutanoic acid, C10H13NO2 as the free base. That single aromatic substituent is the entire structural difference from the endogenous molecule, and it is what gives the compound its distinct physical behaviour and its own entries in the chemical registers. The molecular structure page works through the functional groups, the stereocentre at C-3, and how a drawn structure is confirmed instrumentally.
What “HCl” changes in practice
The hydrochloride is the same molecule with its amine nitrogen protonated and a chloride counterion in the lattice — a difference of ionisation and crystal form, not of connectivity. In laboratory terms the salt is the more practical form to hold: it is a stable crystalline solid, it is water-soluble, and it can be weighed and taken into solution reproducibly at the bench. It also carries its own molecular formula (C10H14ClNO2), its own molecular weight and its own CAS Registry Number, so a record written for the base does not describe the salt. Free base versus hydrochloride covers the distinction, which is a common source of documentation errors.
Physical characteristics
Material supplied as the hydrochloride is a white to off-white crystalline powder. It is a water-soluble amine salt and should be kept dry and closed; the free base’s solubility differs from that of the salt. General characterization data are collected on the physical and chemical properties page, where the standing rule is that lot-specific values, when determined, belong on the accompanying documentation rather than in a general reference.
Where the compound and its literature come from
Phenibut originated in Soviet pharmaceutical research in the 1960s, which is why a large share of the primary literature is Russian-language, and why English-language secondary sources frequently cite translations, abstracts or later reviews rather than the original reports. That provenance matters when weighing evidence: a statement traceable only to an untranslated primary source is harder to verify than its frequent repetition makes it appear. See history and discovery, the Russian-language studies index, and evidence quality and research limitations.
Regulatory position
Phenibut is not a federally scheduled controlled substance in the United States and is not an FDA-approved drug, and the FDA has determined that it does not meet the statutory definition of a dietary ingredient. None of that establishes that any particular product is lawful: drug, food, import and state-law questions are separate from one another, several U.S. states restrict the compound, and a number of other countries control it outright. This is general information rather than legal advice, and purchasers remain responsible for verifying current law in their own jurisdiction. Legal and regulatory status takes each question separately; restricted destinations lists where we do not ship.
Verifying what you received
A profile page describes a compound; it establishes nothing about a particular container. Tying a physical sample to a recorded identity is the work of lot documentation and, where required, of analytical confirmation — identity established by spectroscopic or chromatographic comparison against a reference, recorded against a lot number that appears on both the label and the paperwork. Analytical identification describes the techniques; certificate of analysis and lot traceability describe the records that should travel with the material.
Where to go next
For the material itself and the quantities available, see the Phenibut HCl product page. To understand the documentation that may accompany a lot, read Understanding the Certificate of Analysis. For the wider picture — how identity, experimental pharmacology, toxicology surveillance, analytical detection and regulation fit together — see the Phenibut evidence map.
For Research Use Only. Not for human or animal consumption. Northeast Research Supply provides materials for legitimate laboratory, analytical, educational, and scientific research only. Nothing on this site is medical advice, and no material is offered as a food, dietary supplement, drug, or consumer health product. Purchasers are responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements. See our Research Use Policy and Quality & Documentation pages.