Methylenedioxy

Methylenedioxy in the field of chemistry, particularly in organic chemistry, is the name for a functional group with the structural formula -O-CH₂-O- which is connected to the rest of a molecule by two chemical bonds. The methylenedixoy group consists of two oxygen atoms connected to a methylene (CH₂) group. The methylenedioxy group is generally found attached to an aromatic structure such as phenyl where it forms the methylenedioxyphenyl functional group which is widely found in natural products, including safrole, and drugs and chemicals such as tadalafil (Cialis), MDMA (Ecstacy), and piperonyl butoxide.