Methamphetamine synthesis from P2P by NaBH4 reduction. Medium-Scale.

[btcboss2022]

Hello,

After many tests using Methylamine HCL based on this method I will share the best way that I found to obtain Methamphetamine freebase in big scale:

• 966 gr P2P​
• 14 liters Methanol
• 1183 gr Methylamine HCL​
• 638gr NaOH​
• 452 gr Anhydrous Sodium Sulfate​
• 105 gr NaBH4​
• 35 L distilled water​
• 7 Liters DCM​

- Fill the reactor with the 14 L of Methanol
- With stirring dissolve the Methylamine HCL
- Put the reactor temp at 0C(not the mixture temp) and add the NaOH, the temp will increase
- Once the temp come back to 20C add the P2P, the temp will increase stir it during 45min-1 hour
- Add 252gr of anhydrous sodium sulfate
- When the mixture temp arrives to 8C start adding portionwise the NaBH4 not exceeding the 20C
- Once all the NaBH4 has been added let it mixing under 20C during aprox 2 hours until the mixture stops bubbling
- Add the water and continue mixing during 5 min
- Add the DCM and mix it during 10 min
- Stop stirring and let layers get separated
- Keep the bottom layer and discard the upper one( not profitable to extract this aqueous phase)
- Add 200gr of anhydrous sodium sulfate to the saved layer and mix it
- Filter it in Buchner Funnel
- Evaporate the DCM
- Clean and smelly Methamphetamine freebase obtained

;-)

 

[snowbones]

Is the 35 litres of water added to ensure seperation of the dcm and water cos of the methanol present to stop it all mixing?
and are you using a 100 litre HDPE paint bucket as the reaction vessel?

 

[Chemistry lntern]

Excuse me! Is it necessary to use an ice bath when setting the reaction temperature to 0 degrees (not the temperature of the mixture

 

[Chemistry lntern]

Sir, may I ask if I know if the deep red liquid obtained after evaporating DCM is correct？

 

[Atompower]

Has any one trying this method of btc boss and had success with his write up

 

[William D.]

This looks like a working method, but some reagents and conditions can be changed.

 

[rage565]

Is there a video of this procedure available?

 

[G.Patton]

Have you tried to open Video section?

 

[Grubby]

Is 15g of NaBH4 enough as the reducing agent for 138g of P2P? Or should I add a small amount of reducing agent to avoid some side reactions?

 

[G.Patton]

Hello, yes it's not enough. You have to add at least equimolar amount 38.91g of NaBH4. It's even worth to add a little more, ~1.1 eqviv 42.8g.

 

[Grubby]

Idol, there must be a special reason why you choose to use less reducing agent! For example, to avoid certain side reactions or to favor certain steps? Please Master, please enlighten me on the mystery behind this.

 

[GnarleyBarley]

You don't need that much, 15 g (maybe a tiny bit more) is enough. 1 mol NaBH4 can reduce more than just 1 mol of imine. It can theoretically reduce 4 moles!!!

Don't know why patton says otherwise, but it's not true. and countless of articles, synthesis on forums and so on pretty much proves it

The following is for MDMA but the same molar ratio of NaBH4 applies to methamphetamine synthesis (here 0.47 equivalents is used)

 

[Chemistry lntern]

How does methylamine hydrochloride and methanol produce a 10% methylamine methanol solution

 

[GnarleyBarley]

Methylamine hydrochloride in methanol, add naoh.
You now need to filter the solution (NaCl is precipitated) and dry it with something (sieves, mgso4 etc). Filter it again
or just filter it one time after mgso4

Notice: More products are formed than what is shown in the table below (NaCl) is not shown because I don't care about how many grams of NaCl is produced, it will be filtered of anyway

CH6ClN = Methylamine hydrochloride, CH5N = methylamine, HNaO is NaOH (This table was made automatically in chemdraw, and this is how they do it.

As you can see, 26g of water is produced to make 45g methylamine from 98g of methylamine hydrochloride. Therefor you need something to dry up all the 26g of water (minimum)

I failed this reaction when I didn't dry it enough (because I didn't realize that so much water was actually produced (just added a little bit of mgso4 and thought I was good to go)

Also you don't need to have exactly 10% Methanol solution. Just enough to hold all the methylamine and enough to keep dilute the reaction enough.