Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Free base
open-in-new
<p>In <a href="/facts/Chemistry/SrNqkGVm">chemistry</a>, a free base (freebase, free-base) is a term for the neutral form of an <a href="/facts/Amine/SN7W44fv">amine</a> or other <a href="/facts/Lewis_base/qlLqRvg2">Lewis base</a>. The term is used in the pharmaceutical industry in contrast to <a href="/facts/Salt_(chemistry)/lsSKwGpn">salt</a>-based formulations like <a href="/facts/Hydrochloride/7Sdqua4a">hydrochlorides</a>. The amine is often an <a href="/facts/Alkaloid/m6hUXohz">alkaloid</a>, such as <a href="/facts/Nicotine/VQ6HcIrY">nicotine</a>, <a href="/facts/Cocaine/rdQP4zwF">cocaine</a>, <a href="/facts/Morphine/8ngpXHDc">morphine</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ephedrine/wxXefYXQ">ephedrine</a>, or derivatives thereof. </p><p>Colloquially, "free-basing" also means the treatment of salts or other formulations to convert them into the free base form, especially for <a href="/facts/Recreational_drug/eoBD3vKn">recreational drugs</a>. </p>