Molecule structure · ThinkDotCo (original composition from PubChem data) · Compound first synthesised 1938
LSD molecule structure print
This design is the skeletal structure of lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD (C20H25N3O), drawn as a line diagram with its name and formula on a cream ground. The compound was first synthesised by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann at Sandoz in Basel in 1938, from lysergic acid, the core of the ergot alkaloids.
History
Hofmann was working through derivatives of lysergic acid in search of a circulatory stimulant; LSD-25 was the twenty-fifth compound in the series and was set aside. He returned to it in April 1943, and his accidental exposure on 16 April and deliberate self-experiment on 19 April (the 'Bicycle Day' of later legend) revealed its unusual potency.
Sandoz supplied it to researchers from 1947, and it became the subject of extensive psychiatric and pharmacological study through the 1950s and 1960s before being placed under international control in 1971. Hofmann, who lived to 102, told the story in his book LSD: My Problem Child. This page describes the molecule and the artwork only; it is not medical information.
What the print shows
The standard skeletal formula: the indole ring of the ergoline skeleton fused to two further rings, the N-methyl group, the double bond in the D ring and the diethylamide group drawn to the right, with wedge bonds at the two stereocentres. Below it the name LSD, the full chemical name and the formula C20H25N3O in letter-spaced type on a warm cream ground.
The poster is a vertical 2 : 3 composition rendered at full 300 DPI for the largest size, 24 by 36 inches. The same design is printed on a unisex tee.
Source and licence
Source: PubChem, National Library of Medicine (compound data).
Licence: The structure is drawn from PubChem's public-domain chemical data (a US government database). The composition, typography and layout are an original ThinkDotCo work.
Pairs with the other molecule prints in the shop as a chemistry gallery wall.
Available sizes and prices
Print Etsy listing 4593282603
From $29.99; sizes and options are on the listing (largest size quoted: 24 × 36 in).
Unisex T-shirt Etsy listing 4515619857
From $41.99, priced per size and colour on the listing. Printed to order on a Bella+Canvas 3001 unisex tee.
Buy
- LSD Molecule (print): buy on Etsy, from $29.99.
- LSD Molecule (unisex t-shirt): buy on Etsy, from $41.99.
Frequently asked questions
- What does LSD stand for?
- Lysergic acid diethylamide, from the German Lysergsäurediethylamid. It is an ergoline compound with the formula C20H25N3O.
- Who first made LSD?
- Albert Hofmann, at the Sandoz laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, in November 1938. He discovered its effects in April 1943.
- Is this print medical advice?
- No. It is a decorative, accurate drawing of the molecule's structure as recorded in PubChem, with its name and formula.
- Which formats are available?
- An unframed poster or a framed print in 8 by 12, 12 by 18, 16 by 24 and 24 by 36 inches, and a printed unisex tee. Prices are listed on this page.
Sources
Published 20 Oct 2026; prices are the live Etsy prices as of 20 Oct 2026. The work is public domain; this page's text is © ThinkDotCo and may be quoted with a link.