Problem: Ritalin is the trade name of a drug, methylphenidate, used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adults. The chemical structure of methylphenidate is shown in the figure below.Is Ritalin an acid or a base?

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The structure of Ritalin:

The structure of Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a central C single bonded below to H and left to a benzene ring. Single bonded above the central C is a C. That C is double bonded to O and single bonded to O, which is single bonded to a CH3. Single bonded right of the central C is a C that forms the upper left vertex of a six-membered hexagon ring, arranged with its points up and down. All the vertices are Cs except for the top point, which is an N, and all vertices are connected by single bonds. The top point (N) and upper left vertex are single bonded to H; all other vertices are single bonded to two Hs.

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Ritalin is the trade name of a drug, methylphenidate, used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adults. The chemical structure of methylphenidate is shown in the figure below.

The structure of Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a central C single bonded below to H and left to a benzene ring. Single bonded above the central C is a C. That C is double bonded to O and single bonded to O, which is single bonded to a CH3. Single bonded right of the central C is a C that forms the upper left vertex of a six-membered hexagon ring, arranged with its points up and down. All the vertices are Cs except for the top point, which is an N, and all vertices are connected by single bonds. The top point (N) and upper left vertex are single bonded to H; all other vertices are single bonded to two Hs.

Is Ritalin an acid or a base?

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