Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the human brain and its altered concentrations can lead to various neurological diseases. We studied the binding of novel compounds at the dopamine D 2 (D 2 R) and D 3 (D 3 R) receptor subtypes, which belong to the D 2 -like receptor family. The synthesis, in silico, and in vitro characterization of 10 dopamine receptor ligands were performed. Novel ligands were docked into the D 2 R and D 3 R crystal structures to examine the precise binding mode. A quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics study was performed to gain insights into the nature of the intermolecular interactions between the newly introduced pentafluorosulfanyl (SF 5 ) moiety and D 2 R and D 3 R. A radioligand displacement assay determined that all of the ligands showed moderate-to-low nanomolar affinities at D 2 R and D 3 R, with a slight preference for D 3 R, which was confirmed in the in silico studies. N-{4-[4-(2-Methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl]butyl}-4-(pentafluoro-λ6-sulfanyl)benzamide (7i) showed the highest D 3 R affinity and selectivity (pK i values of 7.14 [D 2 R] and 8.42 [D 3 R]).

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