Ruthenium catalyst is used to convert codeine to hydrocodone in high yield.
"Preparation of Hydrocodone from Codeine Using Ruthenium Black [0062] A glass flask (20 ml) was charged with codeine (1.99 g), ruthenium black (0.067 g), water (5 ml), ethanol (5 ml) and sulfuric acid (0.72 g). The mixture was stirred and the temperature was raised to the reflux temperature. The reflux temperature was maintained until the reaction was complete as determined by TLC with the TLC solvent being 98:2 ethanol to NH4OH by volume. This mixture was stirred for 20 hours and then cooled and enhancemented. 0.062 g of ruthenium was recovered. HPLC analysis of mother liquors showed 96% conversion to hydrocodone"
96% yield and most of the catalyst was recovered. They didn't mention an N2 inlet, not sure if that means they did it in the presence of oxygen or not. The next example, they used the recycled catalyst to do the reaction of morphine, and got an equally high yield. I'm not sure if ruthenium black is easier to prepare than the coordination complexes, but I assume its a lot cheaper to prepare, and easier to obtain the materials.
So this reaction will work on all kinds of alkaloids, and while this may not be an easy catalyst to prepare (in terms of obtaining all the compounds needed to make it), its flexible so all kinds of variations of it can be used.
The following users say it would be alright if the author of this
post didn't die in a fire!
The last time I used hydrocodone I wrote an extremely long and very gay post assessing Fall Out Boy's most recent album for composition value and overall musicianship.
The following users say it would be alright if the author of this
post didn't die in a fire!
are you familiar with glutethimide? Rizzo and I used to talk about it a lot, found synthesis instructions (via patents) but it never really got any further than that.
It's on wikipedia with pretty clear synthesis outline, didn't they used to prescribe it in the 70's to neurotic/depressed housewives or something?
You rascal you.
Glutethimide is a CYP2D6 enzyme inducer. When taken with codeine,"hits", "cibas and codeine ", it enables the body to convert higher amounts of the codeine (higher than the average 5 - 10%) to morphine. The general sedative effect also adds to the effect of the combination. It produces an intense euphoria similar to IV heroin use. The effect was also used clinically, including some research in the 1970s in various countries of using it under carefully monitored circumstances as a form of oral opioid agonist substitution therapy, e.g. as a Substitutionmittel that may be a useful alternative to methadone.[4][5] The demand for this combination in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Newark, NYC, Boston, Baltimore, and surrounding areas of other states and perhaps elsewhere, has led to small-scale clandestine synthesis of glutethimide since 1984,[6] a process that is, like methaqualone (Quaalude) synthesis, somewhat difficult and fraught with potential bad outcomes when less-than-gifted chemists are doing the deed with industrial-grade precursors without adequate quality control. The fact that the simpler clandestine synthesis of other extinct pharmaceutical depressants like ethchlorvynol, methyprylon, or the oldest barbiturates is not reported would seem to point to a high level of motivation surrounding a unique drug, again much like methaqualone. Doriden was discontinued in the US by manufacturers in 1993. Analysis of confiscated glutethimide seems to invariably show the drug or the results of attempted synthesis, whereas purported methaqualone is in a significant minority of cases found to be inert, or contain diphenhydramine or benzodiazepines.
The following users say it would be alright if the author of this
post didn't die in a fire!
yup, it was apparently popular in some places in the 70s or 80s with heroin ab/users, so it's definitely worth investigating (1 'doriden' pill with 2x30mg codeine was normal)
Small-scale clandestine synthesis of glutethimide since 1984, a process that is, like methaqualone (Quaalude) synthesis, somewhat difficult and fraught with potential bad outcomes when less-than-gifted chemists are doing the deed with industrial-grade precursors without adequate quality control. The fact that the simpler clandestine synthesis of other extinct pharmaceutical depressants like ethchlorvynol, methyprylon, or the oldest barbiturates is not reported would seem to point to a high level of motivation surrounding a unique drug, again much like methaqualone.
Clandestine chemistry the the last wild west out there
The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
