Precursor (chemistry)
compound that participates in a chemical reaction that produces another compound
In chemistry, a precursor is a compound that participates in a chemical reaction that produces another compound.
In biochemistry, the term "precursor" often refers more specifically to a chemical compound preceding another in a metabolic pathway, such as a protein precursor.
Illicit drug precursors
In 1988, the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances introduced detailed provisions and requirements relating the control of precursors used to produce drugs of abuse.
In Europe the Regulation (EC) No. 273/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on drug precursors was adopted on 11 February 2004. (European law on drug precursors)
Illicit explosives precursors
On January 15, 2013, the Regulation (EU) No. 98/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the marketing and use of explosives precursors was adopted.
The Regulation harmonises rules across Europe on the making available, introduction, possession and use, of certain substances or mixtures that could be misused for the illicit manufacture of explosives.
Detection
A portable, advanced sensor based on infrared spectroscopy in a hollow fiber matched to a silicon-micromachined fast gas chromatography column can analyze illegal stimulants and precursors with nanogram-level sensitivity.
Raman spectroscopy has been successfully tested to detect explosives and their precursors.
The public source identifies “Precursor (chemistry)” as compound that participates in a chemical reaction that produces another compound. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Precursor, chemistry and compound.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Precursor (chemistry)”, the useful work is to connect “compound that participates in a chemical reaction that produces another compound” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 3, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q247994. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1988, 2004 and 2013.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Precursor (chemistry)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.