Etomethazene precursor synthesis

[plancklong]

Ahhhh. Just the sound of those syllables, so magically assembled into one harmonious whole. Just the name brings a wondrous and interesting series of images. Images.... ahh, er., where was I?

Oh yeah. Sorry about that. I want to synthesize etomethazene. That is etonitazene with a methyl group in place of the original nitro:

There are 3 or more different synthetic routes. For me, the one that makes the most sense, primarily because he precursors seem to be the easiest to procure or synthesize. This route starts with 3,4-diaminotoluene reacting with 4-ethoxyphenylacetonitrile to give the substituted benzimidazole (2-[(4-ethoxyphenyl)methyl]-5-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazole):

The reaction of the benzimidazole reaction product with 2-chloroethyl-N,N-diethylamine gives the base etomethazene:

The precursor 4-ethoxyphenylacetonitrile, I believe, can be synthesized starting with the amino acid tyrosine, which is
decarboxylated to give tyramine:

The tryamine is then esterified with EtOH to give 2-(4-ethoxyphenyl)ethylamine.

Finally, the primary amine is oxidized to the nitrile with the pool chemical trichloroisocyanuric acid:

I am pretty sure that this precursor route is the most direct from an OTC point of view.

I am open to criticism and any questions you all may have.

I am going to post my views on the synthesis of the 2-chloroethyl-N,N-diethylamine, starting with diethylamine and dichloroethane (or dibromo ?).

plancklong

 

[OrgUnikum]

Six steps.
Honestly, if you are not a highly gifted chemist with a formal education - no.

'zenes are not so great I thought? There was a big hype and a bad comedown IIRC?

Is it worth it? I think there exist more enjoyable opiates which are easier to synth and the whole "OTC" cult is dancing around a wooden idol which is painted with gold-color. In reality it is only what can be bought without running unnecessary risks, say a good seller of a direct precursor of high quality and purity is better then buying twenty very low risk OTC chemicals of consumer grade quality.

Be it for own use or for sales, picking a drug because it is "easy" to make with mostly "OTC" stuff is the wrong approach. Pick some you want as its the best for you or because it is attractive for buyers and then from this list of favorites narrow it down by difficulty of synthesis and sourcing of precursors. Now it sounds like "I have low standards and suck at sourcing but I think I can handle a six step synth". Hello? Seriously? No offense but look at it.
My advice is: Try to ask better questions and you will find doable solutions.
You get my drift?

 

[plancklong]

Six steps.
Honestly, if you are not a highly gifted chemist with a formal education - no.

'zenes are not so great I thought? There was a big hype and a bad comedown IIRC?

Is it worth it? I think there exist more enjoyable opiates which are easier to synth and the whole "OTC" cult is dancing around a wooden idol which is painted with gold-color. In reality it is only what can be bought without running unnecessary risks, say a good seller of a direct precursor of high quality and purity is better then buying twenty very low risk OTC chemicals of consumer grade quality.

Be it for own use or for sales, picking a drug because it is "easy" to make with mostly "OTC" stuff is the wrong approach. Pick some you want as its the best for you or because it is attractive for buyers and then from this list of favorites narrow it down by difficulty of synthesis and sourcing of precursors. Now it sounds like "I have low standards and suck at sourcing but I think I can handle a six step synth". Hello? Seriously? No offense but look at it.
My advice is: Try to ask better questions and you will find doable solutions.
You get my drift?

OrgUnikumSix steps.
Honestly, if you are not a highly gifted chemist with a formal education - no.

Highly gifted?
I wouldn't go quite that far. Formal education, yes. BS ChE.

'zenes are not so great I thought? There was a big hype and a bad comedown IIRC?

I have heard or seen mixed on this, all the way from the best ever, long lasting and supreme euphoria to what you're saying.
This is the kind of help I am l needing. Thank you. Do you have a reference for that?

Is it worth it? I think there exist more enjoyable opiates which are easier to synth

What do you have in mind?

and the whole "OTC" cult is dancing around a wooden idol which is painted with gold-color. In reality it is only what can be bought without running unnecessary risks, say a good seller of a direct precursor of high quality and purity is better then buying twenty very low risk OTC chemicals of consumer grade quality.

Are you saying this from experience? Have you tried the OTC route and found it much more difficult than all the forum talk would lead you to believe?
Have you found a way to get decent direct precursors? I would like to hear how you did that.

Be it for own use or for sales, picking a drug because it is "easy" to make with mostly "OTC" stuff is the wrong approach. Pick some you want as its the best for you or because it is attractive for buyers and then from this list of favorites narrow it down by difficulty of synthesis and sourcing of precursors. Now it sounds like "I have low standards and suck at sourcing but I think I can handle a six step synth".

I don't quite get what the low standards remark is about, but it sounds petty. I would rather have good direct precursors, and I probably do suck at sourcing.
However there are OTC solutions out there, and not a few of them have merit.

Hello? Seriously? No offense

Really? Sounds like you took offense from the beginning of my post. I just don't know why. Hopefully, if you answer this one I'll understand.

but look at it.
My advice is: Try to ask better questions and you will find doable solutions.

Did you find anything SPECIFIC about the reactions that you object to?

You get my drift?

Yes. Sounds like you've got a chip on your shoulder!

 

[thrillho]

Don't listen to the haters @plancklong that's actually a pretty interesting route. I'm familiar with all current routes, including the one pot copper catalyzed and EEDQ but something like this hadn't occured to me. I had tried to think of an otc route for fun too and got kind of close with Omeprazole actually which can be degraded with UV light into some interesting things but Tyrosine is a lot cheaper. I think you'd want to use iso for esterfication and then either desethyl or pyrolidino instead of diethylamine for increased potency. @OrgUnikum why not talk about the actual chemistry and to be a little more constructive with your criticism. I don't understand why you'd be against something just because it's OTC? This really isn't even that may steps

 

[OrgUnikum]

Don't listen to the haters @plancklong that's actually a pretty interesting route. I'm familiar with all current routes, including the one pot copper catalyzed and EEDQ but something like this hadn't occured to me. I had tried to think of an otc route for fun too and got kind of close with Omeprazole actually which can be degraded with UV light into some interesting things but Tyrosine is a lot cheaper. I think you'd want to use iso for esterfication and then either desethyl or pyrolidino instead of diethylamine for increased potency. @OrgUnikum why not talk about the actual chemistry and to be a little more constructive with your criticism. I don't understand why you'd be against something just because it's OTC? This really isn't even that may steps

thrillhoThere is no hating in what I wrote only valid questions regarding the groundwork which has to be done before seriously contemplating to synthesize such a compound outsides of a legitimate laboratory.
OTC is highly appealing until you start practically working on it. Also as a rule of thumb, the higher the potency, the lower the minimal active dose of a drug the less it is feasible to use anything OTC just for purity reasons. Like its no problem using tap-water when making Amph but its a very bad idea when going for LSD.