Contents:
1. What is methcathinone?
2. Theory and Concepts leading to this synthetic approach
3. Preparation - A simple and practical approach
4. Testing the product from above synthesis
5. Commentary on the drug itself
6. Anecdotal reports of use
7. Sources for materials listed in the synthesis
8. Extensions - chemically similar drugs [aminoketones]
9. Other Data - References and copies of journal articles
10. Questions & Answers regarding this file.
11. Conclusion - about the FAQ itself
What is Methcathinone?
the designer drug 'methcathinone HCl' is also known as Cat, Jeff, Mulka or Ephedrone.
It is a schedule-1 stimulant, making it flat-out illegal like Heroin or LSD (Methamphetamine, on the other hand, is LEGAL with a valid triplicate prescription.)
Chemically, Methcathinone is 2-(methylamino)propiophenone. The name Methcathinone is derived from the name of the drug cathinone, obviously, which in turn is derived from "cathine", an alternate name for norpseudephedrine, an isomer of phenpropanolamine. The name "Ephedrone" is obviously derived from the fact that "Ephedrone" is the ketone of the alcohol that is Ephedrine.
Structure: Contrast the molecules for a quick idea of their comparison. Pseudephedrine or ephedrine would probably be a rightous high as well if it werent for the fact that hydroxyl (OH) groups have such a difficult time crossing the blood-brain barrier.
Methcathinone: (pseud)Ephedrine: Methamphetamine:
_____ _____ _____
/ _ \ O H / _ \ OH H / _ \ H H
( (_) )-C--C--CH3 ( (_) )-C--C--CH3 ( (_) )-C--C--CH3
\_____/ | \_____/ H | \_____/ H |
HN--CH3 HN--CH3 HN--CH3
Pseudephedrine and ephedrine differ only in the isomerism of the OH group. While this makes dramatic difference in the drugs activities at both beta receptors and/or its ability to enter the brain, and does create a difference in the base (not salt) form's soluability in water, since we wont be working in a strongly basic solution, and we WILL be eliminating the chirality at this carbon, for the most part it probably doesnt matter which precursor is used. Pseudephedrine was used here because its cheaper, more readily available in easily extractable form, and not watched by the jackbooted thugs at the DEA.
The KMnO4 Synthesis: Theory and Background
This synthesis uses KMnO4, a damn strong oxidizer that under most conditions might not be the ideal reagent for this synthesis, but when treated with some degree of respect, will work extremely well.
This synthesis relies on two principles understandable by anyone who's had chemistry at the college level.. or any experience with chemicals at all. Even baking a cake.
There's two other synthesises making their way about the net, that I am aware of. The first uses the less potent CHROMATES [which are more toxic] at room temperature, and the second uses KMnO4 with a variety of other weird things and conditions - albeit at room temperature.
Seeking to avoid the chromates while also avoiding using a lot of more advanced technique and equipment, leaves only one option. Slowing KMnO4 down to a reasonable rate.
1. The reaction in the FAQ is dilluted considerably...
2. The reaction in the FAQ is done way colder than any other cat synth.
Presto, the two key elements to changing the rate of a reaction. The end result is quite pleasing and economical, and the reaction is about as fast as the chromate recipe.
Other than that, the only commentary on the recipe is that its a standard alcohol to ketone oxidization proceedure for the most part. Yield, when measured is likely to vary according due to a few things:
1. The efficiency of the pseudephedrine extraction employed.
2. Temperature of the reaction - higher temperatures are far more apt
to yield side product [deamination?] which will be lost.
3. Care taken during solvent "wash" of final product.
4. Realize that KCl is a very likely to be present in the final product.
and adjust estimated yield from weight accordingly.
The KMnO4 Synthesis: Preparation
A. Objectives
B. Ingredients
C. Pseudephedrine Extraction
D. Measuring KMnO4
E. Cold Reaction preparation
F. The Cold Reaction
G. Purification
Synthesis Objectives
The objective of this procedure is to produce methcathinone in a reletively pure form. This was accomplished as evidenced by a residue/burn test, and quite a few testimonials from users. A secondary objective was to not require complicated lab proceedures - avoiding even an acid-base extraction and to stray away from toxic byproducts.
Upon completion, your methcathinone should be "pure" with a small potassium supplement...
The methcathinone produced by this proceedure is no doubt not as pure as that which may be produced using a typical acid-base solvent extraction, but certainly rivals it nicely. And the conditions required for this method are far less demanding, as none of the toxic chromates are used.
Synthesis Ingredients
Collander w/ reletively small holes
Shaved Ice
Pseudephedrine tablets, 100 of 30mg each.
Reasonably pure KMnO4 (Potassium Permaganate). Avoid lead and other toxins.
Distilled water. TAP WATER WILL FAIL!!! Purified water usually works.
Refridgerator chilled to just over 0c (most are).
Small turkey Baster or other method of measuring water in mililiter quantities.
An area heated or chilled to "room temperature" (ROUGHLY 25c or 75f)
Isopropanol for quenching KMnO4... 70% to 100% is OK if its clear.
Ethanol optional for speeding drying process.
Acetone for the washing of crystals.
Most kitchens do NOT come equipped with a scale capable of measureing individual grams, let alone miligrams. And in many states, possession of such a finely tuned instrument, while not a crime, certainly is admissable as one of many items of evidence to be used in a criminal investigation. Definitly something to be avoided. Keep all the ingredients and all the labware in its "everday-use" place, and there's no evidence to support the existance of a cat lab. And no need to manufacture the stuff in the high desert regions either, since weird scents are for the most part avoided.
Extracting Pseudephedrine HCl
(kudo's to POPeye for his document "Getting the Red out") 100 of the 30mg generic pseudephedrine tablets were placed into a collander containing about the same "volume" of crushed ice. They were swirled around in this collander over a sink (with running water to wash the color down the drain) until all the ice had melted and washed thru. The tablets were then rinsed once with distilled water, and removed to a glass jar for extracting.
NOTE: The running water kept the drain clean, but wasn't ever in contact with the tablets themselves. This confused a number of people. Obviously, its not necessary for this... just convienent I guess. Do not wash the tablets UNDER WATER with crushed ice. Rather, place them in the colander with crushed ice, thats it, and stir them around,.. The very cold ice does a minimum of disolving WHILE its abrasion removes the coloring.
Place the just washed and probably slightly red pseudephedrine tablets in a jar, and pour 150mL of water over them. Now heat this in a microwave at low power until it gets "hot" but not boiling. Stir the crap until the tablets fall all to pieces, then let the powdery FILLER material settle, leaving pseudephedrine in solution all by its lonesome, or at least mostly by its lonesome.
Slowly pour this THRU coffee enhancement into another jar.
When this is done, scrape/shake/get any powder caught in the filler and stick it in the FIRST jar, the one that might have some sludge at the bottom still. Now add another 150mL of water, heat until "hot", stir, then let settle. Pour this thru the coffee enhancement.
Get the powder stuck in the enhancement (again) back with the sludge and add still another 150mL and heat until "hot". This time pour thru the enhancement, and your done.
It is worth noting that the filler material clogs the enhancements and will dramatically increase time for enhancementation to take place, like from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. The enlightened will at once realize that the easiest way to avoid this is to decant, or pour slowly so as not to disturb the sludge at the bottom, the solution thru the enhancement first, waiting until its really necessary to dump the sludge onto the enhancement. Also, avoid dumping "dry" sludge onto the enhancement, the only sludge that ought to be on the enhancement is that which became dispersed in the water while pouring. In an ideal world, everyones kitchen would have a centrifuge (and a miligram scale too!) and this wouldnt be a problem, but then again in an ideal world we would be able to buy our drugs over the counter, and not have to make them. Suffice to say this isnt an ideal world.
Measuring and preparing the KMnO4 solution
KMnO4 is saturated at 25c in water - 100ml of solution holds 7.43g This time I will be using just under 3g of pseudephedrine (if extract was perfect would be exactly 3g pseudephedrine). Keep in mind that when preparing the saturated solution you need room temperature and time - you need to let the crystals settle!!! Excess (undisolved) KMnO4 will stay "swirled in" the solution. Let it settle for a while at room temp, _then_ measure the 15mL or so... Failure to do this will result in a failed synthesis. If you are too impatient to do this, then you should purchase a miligram-quantity scale.
In acid conditions, 1 mole of KMnO4 will oxidize 5 hydrogens. In basic conditions, 1 mole of KMnO4 will oxidize 3 hydrogens. We won't be specifically using either, because KMnO4 also works nicely under neutral conditions.
It can be reasonably anticipated that the Pseudephedrine HCl will posess somewhat of an acidic character, so we will 'assume' acidic conditions, which also will allow us to avoid using TOO MUCH KMnO4... small amounts of pseudephedrine will go unnoticed in the final product, but gooey messes will not, for obvious reasons.
The Pseudephedrine/KMnO4 ratio should be 2.5Mole to 1Mole, according to previous calculations. 3g pseudephedrine is 18.15mMole, therefore 7.26mMole of KMnO4, or 1.148g will be needed for the reaction. This means that 15.45mL of concentrated solution at room temperature will be needed. Obviously us kitchen chemists can't be that precise, so aim a little high, as previous margins were set about 10% low... use AT LEAST 15.45mL prepared at AT LEAST 25c.
Preparing for the Cold Reaction
This 15.5 or so mL of solution is then diluted with 250mL H2O, and is started chilling in a refridgerator, with just over 0c the goal. Place the pseudephedrine solution in the fridge to chill, next to the KMnO4 solution. Label the jar so that in the event you are raided during the proceedure, the feds will know which evidence is which and have a handwriting sample to implicate you in the manufacturing process. Leave the jars to chill (at least 4 hours, maybe more. Check temperature if your unsure - it ought to be just slightly above 0c or 32f)
And for the next few hours, nothing happens. This is a good time to stop for lunch, if your into eating.
It should be noted at this point that much feedback has been recieved from "failed" synthesis caused entirely by not letting the mixture chill long enough. If your impatient, place it in the freezer until ice begins to form then allow it to warm just enough to melt before mixing remember, the ONLY reason this works at all is because the dilution and temperature are such that the permaganate oxidizes the alcohol to a ketone and GETS USED UP before it can do anything damage. Make the solution much more concentrated or much warmer, and these guarantees may not work.
The Reaction (the boring part??)
After chilling, the two cold solutions are mixed together, stirred, and replaced in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours). This is a good time to stop and have dinner, pork your significant other, and then get some sleep.
In the morning, instead of a PURPLE color in the jar, there is a mostly clear layer, and a brownish gunk on the bottom, which agitates easily. Because its safer to err on the side of caution, 100mL of 70% isopropyl alcohol is added and stirred.
If a purple color remains, odds are that an EXCESS of KMnO4 was used and the synthesis will fail, or that not enough time was allowed for the reaction to take place. Do not allow more than 12 hours in any case, instead give the KMnO4 something else to chew on [the isopropyl alcohol]. This is the sole reason for the addition of isopropanol. Ethanol or methanol were not used because they tend to oxidize further to substances not so easily seperated from the product. Any acetone made from the isopropanol will evaporate easily.
Let the mixture sit for roughtly 2 hours on a shelf, and at the end of this period it should be around room temperature. Time to room temp will vary with dimentions and thickness of the container, of course.
This mixture is enhancemented thru two coffee enhancements stacked on top of each other with the intention of catching all the little maganeese particles that have precipitated. In an ideal world, you can do this on the first try and get a perfectly clear liquid on the bottom. In a less than ideal world, it was necessary to again RECOOL SLIGHTLY the enhancemented mix, and enhancement this thru another pair of coffee enhancements. My hunch is that the slight cooling in the fridge, and/or the extra time allowed the rest of the maganeese to 'clump' together into pieces too big to escape unenhancemented.
Many have found two, three, or even four refiltrations to be necessary apparently the choice in coffee enhancement places a dramatic role. The truly patient chemist could use a PAPER enhancement, provided it is free of anything that would end up in the mixture, such as coloring. The well equiped chemist would use a paper enhancement and a vaccuum suction device that would pull the stuff thru the enhancement paper, but hopefully not rip it. Perhaps such a device could be built in a manner similar to a bomb, with the place where the mouth goes used to hold the enhancement, and the place where the bowl goes hooked up to some kind of suction (an aspirator, mini vaccuum, I dunno). The contents of the bong would be the desired part...
| |
| |// A bong. This one is underfilled, of course, because allowing
| '/ it to fill completely would be potentially waste product on
|~~| the vaccuum rig.
_|__|_
The bong idea is totally untried, but it seems like a sound idea.
This final, enhancemented solution was found to be basic with a pool test kit, no suprise if you figure that the HCl part of the Pfed was used up in the oxidation as 'acid'. Results will vary on the final pH. If its already acidic, you dont need to add any more acid (heheh).
so now that you udneerstand that you have to understand where mephedrone comes from
do you have to extract it from plant? No because it will break down too quickly, it's impossible to make that way. What does it break down into?
