moleculefinder

Modafinil

C15H15NO2S273.4 g/mol Calculated

Also called Provigil and Alertec.

A wakefulness-promoting medicine sold as Provigil, used for narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder.

Sources and notes
  • The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
  • Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
  • Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
  • 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
  • 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.

Where you encounter it

Dispensed on prescription, not sold on a shelf. Modafinil on the product labels we hold.

Medicines

ProvigilAdded by the makerActive ingredient

Every product and list we hold

Sources and notes
  • The product labels and their strengthsfrom sourceDailyMed (FDA label)Each label lists the molecule as an ingredient, and an active ingredient at the strength shown.
  • How it gets therefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach mark is set by hand on our lists, never inferred; a label's ingredient is added by the maker. A row with no mark data says Not marked.
  • The line abovefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedFrom the group the molecule belongs to.

Explore its structure

Choose a part to light it up.

A C=O bonded to a nitrogen, the same link that joins amino acids in a protein. It is sturdy, and its nitrogen is not a base the way an amine's is.

From: standard chemistry.

Sources and notes
  • The drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKitThe page's one shipped drawing, with the chosen part lit in amber under it.
  • The partscomputedFound by ruleEach part is found by a chemical pattern, never picked by hand atom by atom; its words say where they come from.

Compare a related molecule

Armodafinil

Modafinil

The same atoms; armodafinil is one mirror-image form, modafinil a mix of both.

Modafinil is an even mix of two mirror-image forms and armodafinil is the R form alone, which clears more slowly, so its effect runs later into the day.

Armodafinil vs Modafinil, side by side
Sources and notes
  • The sentencefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
  • The two drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKitDrawn the same way round; the amber marks where the two differ.
  • The captionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated

Properties and sources

Calculated by PubChem

Molecular formula
C15H15NO2S
Molecular weight
273.4 g/mol
XLogP3octanol/water, log units
1.7
Polar surface areatopological
79.4 Ų
H-bond donors
1
H-bond acceptors
3
Rotatable bonds
5
Complexity
302

Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA via PubChem

Warning Irritant pictogram (GHS07) and Health hazard pictogram (GHS08); hazard statements H302, H332, H373

Reported Licence

The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Modafinil for human use (NDA 020717, authorized December 24, 1998). Drugs@FDA

Groups it belongs to

Category
Prescription medicine
Family
Stimulants
Chemical groups
Aromatics, Amides
Elements
Nitrogen, Sulfur
Hazard classes
Irritant, Health hazard, GHS Warning
SMILESC1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C2=CC=CC=C2)S(=O)CC(=O)N

PubChem CID 4236 · Wikidata Q410441 · InChIKey YFGHCGITMMYXAQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N · Data refreshed

How MoleculeFinder sources and labels its data

Questions
What is Modafinil?
A wakefulness-promoting medicine sold as Provigil, used for narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder.
How toxic is Modafinil?
Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Warning and the hazard pictograms Irritant and Health hazard. from source
What kind of molecule is Modafinil?
Modafinil has the formula C15H15NO2S and a molecular weight of 273.4 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under stimulants, in the prescription medicine group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
What else is Modafinil called?
Modafinil is also called Alertec. from source
Who licenses Modafinil as a medicine?
The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Modafinil for human use (NDA 020717, authorized December 24, 1998). from source
Sources and notes
  • Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
  • Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
  • ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
  • Licencefrom sourceDrugs@FDARead 2026-10-21.
  • Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09

Keep exploring

The same atoms; armodafinil is one mirror-image form, modafinil a mix of both.ArmodafinilC15H15NO2SBoth carry an aromatic ring.PhenibutC10H13NO2
Sources and notes
  • A group apartfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison captions
  • Similar in shapecomputedRDKit Morgan/TanimotoNeighbours by structural fingerprint; the sentence names the chemical groups the two share.
  • The drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKit