MDMA synthesis from piperonylmethylketone (PMK/MDP2P) with formic acid

WillD

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MaoduvyALU

Reaction scheme:
GS1xjmHMBd

Equipment and glassware:
  • 100 ml round bottom flask;
  • Heating plate;
  • Funnel;
  • Syringe or Pasteur pipette;
  • pH indicator papers;
  • Beakers (250 mL x2, 100 mL x4);
  • Laboratory scale (0.01-100 g is suitable);
  • Measuring cylinders 10 mL and 100 mL;
  • Water bath;
  • Glass rod and spatula;
  • Separatory funnel 0.5 L;
  • Laboratory grade thermometer (up to 200-250 °C);
  • Buchner flask and funnel;
  • Filter paper;

Reagents:
  • Formic acid 10.98 g;
  • n-Methylformamide (NMF; cas 123-39-7) 7.6 g;
  • MDP2P (PMK; cas 4676-39-5) 9.0 g;
  • Concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl 36%) 30 ml;
  • Sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH 35%) ~10 ml;
  • Diethyl ether (or petroleum ether) ~150 ml;
  • Magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) ~15 g;
  • Methanol (MeOH) ~50 ml;
  • Acetone ~50 ml;

Synthesis:
1. Formic acid 3.66 g, n-methylformamide (NMF) 7.6 g and MDP2P (PMK) 9.0 g are placed into a 100 ml round bottom flask. Reflux condenser and thermometer are installed.
2. The mixture is
refluxed at 150-170 °C for 7 h with periodic formic acid 7.32 g additions.
3. After that, the reaction mixture is cooled down to room temperature, a clear yellow solution of N-formyl-3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (N-formyl-MDMA) is obtained. N-formyl-MDMA solution have to be washed with distilled water twice and dried over MgSO4. Dry solution is filtered from solids.
4. Concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl 36% 30 ml) is added to this solution. Than, reaction mixture is heated at 80 °C for additional 3 h.
5. The reaction mixture is alkalized with several portions of sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH 35%) to 12
pH. Do not overheat reaction mixture.
6. Crude MDMA free base is
extracted from the alkaline solution with diethyl ether (or petroleum ether) 2 x 50 mL. Ether extract with MDMA free base is dried over MgSO4.
7. After that, organic solvent is evaporated with a slight heating of warm water bath or with help of rotary evaporator with vacuum. MDMA free base oil is treated with
hydrogen chloride gas and gelatinous brown precipitate of impure MDMA hydrochloride is obtained.
8. The crude MDMA hydrochloride salt is dissolved in minimum volume of boiling methanol (MeOH), which is necessary to dissolve MDMA crude salt. Hot solution is poured into a beaker with chilled acetone, crystals are formed. This mixture is cooled down to a room temperature and vacuum filtered, crystals are washed with small amount of cold dry acetone and air dried (or dried in a vacuum chamber). Crystalline MDMA hydrochloride is obtained as the product.
9. MDMA hydrochloride can be
recrystallized one more time to yield fawn crystals with melting point 147 - 148 °C.
 
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Honolulu98

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if possible use DMF or is better NMF?


Any difference?
 

WillD

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No, DMF is impossible for this reaction
 

rickyrick

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What in your opinion is the best way to get or synthesise PMK at this day and age?PMK methyl glycidate maybe?
 

WillD

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Definitely PMK-gly is the best source (after sassafras oil, if you can buy it)
 
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Gale

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This method seems really nice, but how are the yeilds?
 

blackchip

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what does it mean to treat with hydrogen chloride gas?
 

WillD

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With a gas generator. But you can use aqueous hydrochloric acid and dry acetone.
At best, the same amount as PMK-oil, in the form of hydrochloride, but rather less.
 

Followme38

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Can you use standard formamide instead of nmf ?
 

CryoThio

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It will produce MDA, not MDMA, but yes, you can. The methyl group is necessary for mdma
 

CryoThio

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There should be some write ups on here.

Mda is produced by reacting formamide with mdp2p.

Mdma is produced by reacting n methyl formamide with mdp2p.
 

blackchip

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I am sorry for asking this question again but I read the literature on the hcl gas generator but it doesn't answer my question. If I make the gas with the generator, does 'treating' mean passing the gas through a flask with the crude MDMA?
 

Followme38

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Just use anhydrous acetone and 37% hcl working with hcl gas is dangerous as hell :( and there is not advantage if you crystal in fridge
 

Gale

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You mean to add 37% hcl dropwise to anhydrous acetone till acidic then freeze? Gassing isn't that dangerous if done properly, its really chill. Just not the most comfortable, I would rather have a dry acidic solution I could add to the NP, such as sulfuric acid. Would be smoother. Will it be ok to go the sulphate route? I have a feeling it will make some pretty crystals ;)
 
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Followme38

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You are right at this point only its hard to get your hands on gas most of the time :)
 

Gale

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Unless you live in most places where its the easiest reagent to access. HCL aq poured on calc chloride = gasolina
 

Montecristo

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hey, What is the formic acid concentration?
So instead of gassing i would wash the residue with hcl and acetone?
Is there alternative to diethyl ether? can i use DCM? or Naptha?
And do i have to convert the new [Ethyl Gylc] PMK into PMK oil?
Thanks!


 

ymaaah

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I think instead of diethyl ether you can use acetate ether, its a good way
 

Montecristo

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How much hcl and dry acetone should be used?
what is yeild compared to bubbling hcl?
 

Gale

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Yeild should be the same and IMO gassing is the best method whether you perform this step directly or after collecting and drying out base, then dissolve in IPA and maybe add a few mls hcl aq and freeze..which should give you some crystals..but id reccomend to gas a bunch of IPA and save it. Then you have dry IPA/HCL. Whenever you need it, its ready and all you have to do is add HCl/IPA to dry NP to pH 5?

The gassing stage is really the most relaxing step. It seems intimidating but with good exhaust airflow you don't even need to wear a mask IME, I take mine off sometimes and I dont smell a thing...might be smart to wear protective face sheild for w.e reason the tube gets clogged and pressure builds up and escapes in random direction.
 

Gale

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Yeild should be the same and IMO gassing is the best method whether you perform this step directly or after collecting and drying out base, then dissolve in IPA and maybe add a few mls hcl aq and freeze..which should give you some crystals..but id reccomend to gas a bunch of IPA and save it. Then you have dry IPA/HCL.. IMO it feels more organised to me when using dry IPA/hcl..no need for setting up for gassing or waiting for the right time to gas etc.

The gassing stage is really the most relaxing step. It seems intimidating but with good exhaust airflow you don't even need to wear a mask IME, I take mine off sometimes and I dont smell a thing...might be smart to wear protective face sheild for w.e reason the tube gets clogged and pressure builds up and escapes in random direction, which could blind u or give u a nice burn... With that in mind, gassing is still a relaxing and easy process.
 

Montecristo

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Yeah sweet, i am aware of how to gas HCL to get a higher concentration acid using Azeotrope distillation, is this the same method with the gas line going into solution?
 

Montecristo

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do you just gas until all the product has crystalized?
 
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