Subject:      Speed/crank/meth/amphetamine recipe compilation
From:         DrHaney@world.std.com (Daniel R Haney)
Date:         1996/03/25
Message-ID:   <Dot27F.6w8@world.std.com>
Newsgroups:   alt.drugs.chemistry

Daniel Haney, channeling Spiro Teodor Anagnastopolis -

In spite of good and persistent efforts by us effete
intellectual snobs to quash the persistent clamor
of the ignorant and self-destructive jackals snarling
from their trees their unreasoned desire for *gasp!*

        SPEED/CRANK/METHEDRINE RECIPES,

those lupine pests keep spawning anew, seemingly by
spontaneous generation, with phlogiston on the side.

Well fuck it!   We give up.  You can have it.  The
mysteries of the universe...a few of them, anyway.
You too can be a member of the e-lite.

Here it is.  We keep NOT wanting to believe that so many
are so low on the intellectual food chain as to want to
crank as a lifestyle but we guess they don't know about
the alternatives (cryptic bait, if ever there was).

(drum roll...lights off...spiro agnew's spirit departs)

* * * *                               * * * *
* * * * AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESIS CONTEST * * * *
* * * *                               * * * *
* * * *       COMPILED RESULTS!       * * * *
* * * *                               * * * *

The contest results have been lightly edited with a 
bludgeon and structures provided when I wasn't too lazy
to breath, except at the very end where Dex sprinkled
dozens of implications by the handful, very nearly worthy
of his own monograph (shameless sycophancy, yes, but I
like Dex).


[begin]

Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
From: DrHaney@world.std.com (Daniel R Haney)
Subject: amphetamine synthesis contest
Keywords: amphetamine methedrine speed crank
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 23:16:00 GMT


Everyone,

There is nothing so powerful as
a bad idea whose time has come.


                AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESIS CONTEST
                -----------------------------

THE HOOK -

        Show what a smart-ass you are by proposing a plausible
        synthetic route for preparing amphetamine/methedrine,
        specificly, 2-amino 1-phenyl propane or its N-methyl
        analog, but with extra points for methylphenidate.

        The synthesis may be original or stolen from a journal
        (with attribution, if possible).

THE PRIZE -

        Virtual glory is all you'll ever get in a medium as 
        divorced from palpable reality as Usenet.  Enjoy it 
        or get over it.

THE RULES - 

        Submit a plausible tolerably short synthetic route for
        amphetamine to newsgroup alt.drugs.chemistry with
        "amphetamine synthesis contest" in the subject field.

                THE SYNTHESIS MUST BE PLAUSIBLE.
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

                    IT NEED NOT BE ORIGINAL!
                    ------------------------

                     NO PROCEDURAL DETAILS!
                     ----------------------

        PLEASE leave out the ugly ( = essential) procedural 
        details for the purposes of brevity.  And legality.
        Acts of Furtherance are so-o-o unesthetic.  The DEA,
        that vigilant arbiter of good taste and esthetics,
        will rigorously penalize instances of bad taste.

        Synthetic categories in contention are: 

        SIMPLEST:               One or two steps in the route.
        PRACTICAL:              Uses ordinary precursors and reactions. 
        CLEVER:                 Ordinary compounds, unusual reactions.

        WEIRD/OBTUSE/OBSCURE:   Uses unusual precursors and reactions.
        BYZANTINE:              See the Woodward synth of chlorophyll.
        NONE OF THE ABOVE:      Submit it just because you like it.
                                (a fine reason, IMHO)

        Multiple submissions in the same category from the same
        person are fine, just don't bore us.

THE JUDGING -

        Any submission may be derided/dismembered and otherwise
        pelted with manure by any other contestant in the finest
        Usenet traditions of juvenile dicksizing and ad hominem
        attack.

        Whoever's submission still has a leg to stand on and
        remains most teflon-like in its imperviousness to shi^H^H^H
        invective shall be grudgingly promoted to the winners' circle
        and ignored thereafter.

        Obtuse, obscure, weird syntheses are more interesting
        than the reductive amination of phenyl 2-propanone
        which is the classic industrial example, IMHO.

THE SCORING -

        We'll make it up as we go along.

        *NO* points will be given for the reductive amination
        presented at the end of this contest announcement.

        Photochemical Wolff or Claisen reactions that only 
        yield 20% product from precursor won't score as
        well as thermal diazo rearrangements that facilely 
        disproportionate to the proper skeleton in 55% yield...

        ...unless, of course, they are wickedly, obtusely
        clever and byzantine.

SUBMISSION FORMAT -

        Any method that succinctly conveys the idea is good.

        To say: 
                
                "phenyl 2-propanone is reductively aminated
                by liquid ammonia in <solvent> and hydrogen
                over <catalyst> to yield amphetamine,"

        is just as good as:

                Phenyl 2-propanone  -------------> amphetamine
                                    NH3(l), H2,
                                    Raney nickel
        
        but the most desirable format is:

          ___                                ___
         / _ \                              / _ \   
        < (_) >--CH2                       < (_) >--CH2
         \___/    \      -------------->    \___/    \       
                   C=O    H2 (2atm),                  C-NH2
                  /       NH3(l),                    /       
                 CH3      Raney Nickel              CH3       
        


        ...especially if the synthesis is clever and byzantine.


-- 

By the pricking of my thumbs...
-DrH


Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
From: DrHaney@world.std.com (Daniel R Haney)
Subject: Re: amphetamine synthesis contest
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996 13:16:05 GMT

AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESIS CONTEST

CATEGORY:  SIMPLEST


                                  NO2                           NH2
      H                          /                             /
      C=O                    >==<                          ---<
  ___/                   ___/    \                     ___/    \
 / _ \    ----------->  / _ \     CH3  ----------->   / _ \     CH3
< (_) >   CH3CH2-NO2,  < (_) >          LiAlH4 in    < (_) >
 \___/    n-C4H11-NH2   \___/           Et2O          \___/
          (.1 equiv.)
          at RT.         ~80%                          ~70% 


Benzaldehyde is treated with nitroethane and a catalytic
amount of n-butylamine to produce 2-nitro 1-phenyl propene.

Reduction of 2-nitro 1-phenyl propene with lithium aluminum
hydride yields racemic 1-phenyl 2-propylamine, AKA amphetamine.

Don't try this at home, or anywhere else.



COWARDLY DISCLAIMER:

This above is for informational purposes only.  Important
practical data have been deliberately excluded to discourage
casual experimentation.
-- 

By the pricking of my thumbs...
-DrH





Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
From: an178827@anon.penet.fi
Reply-To: an178827@anon.penet.fi
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 03:26:07 UTC
Subject: amphetamine synthesis contest

AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESIS CONTEST

CATEGORY:  ELEGANCE


        HN-CH3                HN-CH3                 HN-CH3
        /                     /                      / 
    ---<                  ---<                   ---<  
        \                     \                      \
         >--OH                 >--Cl                  >
     ___/      ZnCl2,      ___/      Zn,HOAc,     ___/ 
    / _ \      -------->  / _ \      --------->  / _ \ 
   < (_) >     HCl,H2O   < (_) >     EtOH       < (_) >
    \___/                 \___/                  \___/


Pseudoephedrine or Phenylpropanolamine is chorinated with a solution of 
zinc chloride and hydrochloric acid to yield the alkyl chlorides 
beta-chloromethamphetamine and beta-chloroamphetamine respectively, 
which are then reduced with zinc, acetic acid and ethanol to give 
methamphtamine or amphetamine respectively.
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Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
From: DrHaney@world.std.com (Daniel R Haney)
Subject: Re: amphetamine synthesis contest
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 02:25:39 GMT

AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESIS CONTEST

CATEGORY:  AN EXCUSE TO MENTION 18-CROWN-6



    Br                   CN                CN     O  
     \                    \                 \    //  
      >                    >                 >--</   
  ___/                 ___/              ___/    \   
 / _ \  ----------->  / _ \  -------->  / _ \     CH3 ----->
< (_) > KCN,         < (_) >  EtOAc,   < (_) >       
 \___/  acetonitrile, \___/   NaOEt     \___/        
        18-crown-6

                      O                         HN-CH3
                     //                         /
                 ---</                      ---<
             ___/    \                  ___/    \
 -------->  / _ \     CH3 --------->   / _ \     CH3
 1. H2SO4  < (_) >          MeNH2,    < (_) >
 2. H2O     \___/           H2,        \___/
                            Pd/C

Benzyl bromide and potassium cyanide in acetonitrile with a 1% molar 
equivalent of 18-crown-6 produce phenyl acetonitrile in nearly 
quantitative yield.

Phenyl acetonitrile is condensed with ethyl acetate and sodium
ethoxide yielding alpha-phenyl acetoacetonitrile.

Alpha-phenyl acetoacetonitrile is dissolved in cold concentrated 
sulfuric acid followed by hydrolysis with water to produce 
phenyl 2-propanone.

Phenyl 2-propanone is reductively aminated with methylamine and
hydrogen gas over palladium catalyst to produce racemic N-methyl 
amphetamine.


-- 

By the pricking of my thumbs...
-DrH





Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
From: an178827@anon.penet.fi
X-Anonymously-To: alt.drugs.chemistry
Reply-To: an178827@anon.penet.fi
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 02:37:50 UTC
Subject: amphetamine synthesis contest

                              HO                      HO
                                \                       \
           >=O                   >=O                     >=O
          /                     /                       / 
      >==<                  >==<                    /--/ 
  ___/       KMnO4      ___/         Na(Hg)     ___/        
 / _ \      -------->  / _ \        -------->  / _ \        
< (_) >               < (_) >                 < (_) >      
 \___/                 \___/                   \___/       

                               
                                
        HO                         NH2
          \                         \
           >=O                       >=O
          /                         / 
      /--/                      /--/ 
  ___/        (NH2)2CO      ___/        
 / _ \        ---------->  / _ \     --------------> da good stuf   
< (_) >                   < (_) >     hoffman rear. 
 \___/                     \___/       


Oxidize cinnamaldehyde to cinnamic acid with some potassium 
permanganate, then reduce cinnamic acid's alkene group to an alkane 
group with sodium amalgam. Then, react the carboxylic acid with urea to 
form phenylpropionamide. Then, do a Hoffman rearrangement of the amide 
to form amphetamine.





Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
From: DrHaney@world.std.com (Daniel R Haney)
Subject: Re: amphetamine synthesis contest
Keywords: amphetamine methedrine speed crank
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 15:47:07 GMT
Lines: 33

AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESIS CONTEST

CATEGORY:  THE HARD WAY


           O                         O                          HN-CH3
          //                        //                         /
      ---</                     ---</                      ---<
  ___/    \                 ___/    \                  ___/    \
 / _ \     OH ---------->  / _ \     CH3 --------->   / _ \     CH3
< (_) >        AcOH,      < (_) >         N-MeCHO,   < (_) >
 \___/         ThO2,       \___/          HCO2H       \___/
               430-450C


Phenylacetic and acetic acids are vaporized, passed over
thorium oxide at 430 to 450C and the resultant vapors are
condensed to give phenyl 2-propanone in 55% yield.

Phenyl 2-propanone is treated with N-methyl formamide in
formic acid to give tar and finely divided carbon in 25% 
yield, N-methyl amphetamine in as high as 45% yield.

Heh.

Leuckart-Wallach reactions should be relegated to 
History Of Chemistry texts.


-- 
By the pricking of my thumbs;
Something wicked this way comes:-
-DrH




Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
From: eleusis@netcom.com (Eleusis)
Subject: My Submission for the Venerable Speed Contest
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 18:12:22 GMT
Lines: 71

                **** Submission for Speed Synth Contest ****

Submitter: The Ever Elusive Eleusis
Category: I don't need no stinkin' category


Preparation of precursors:

  \  //     NBS        /\  //
   \//    -------->  Br  \//
           CHCl3

1-propene is reacted with N-Bromosuccinimide in Chloroform to yield
Allyl Bromide in near quantitative yield.

  //\                     //\  /\  //
 //  \    BrCH2CHCH2     //  \/  \//
|    ||   ---------->   |    ||
|    ||     AlCl3       |    ||
 \\  /                   \\  /
  \\/                     \\/

Benzene is reacted with Allyl Bromide in the presence of a Lewis Acid
(AlCl3) to effect Friedel-Crafts Alkylation of the ring, forming
Allylbenzene (Phenyl-1-propylene) in near quantitative yield.


Going for the Main Vein:

  //\  /\  //               //\  /\  /\
 //  \/  \//    CH3NH2     //  \/  \/  Hg(OAc)
|    ||        -------->  |    ||   |
|    ||        Hg(OAc)2   |    ||   N
 \\  /                     \\  /   / \
  \\/                       \\/   H   CH3

Phenyl-1-Propylene is reacted with Methylamine and Mercuric Acetate in
a polar, aprotic solvent (Acetone) to yield the Organo-Amino-Mercurial
complex shown at right in yields of better than 85%.

  //\  /\  /\                        //\  /\  /
 //  \/  \/  Hg(OAc)    NaBH4       //  \/  \/
|    ||   |           -------->    |    ||   |
|    ||   N             AcOH       |    ||   N
 \\  /   / \                        \\  /   / \
  \\/   H   CH3                      \\/   H   CH3

The Organo-Amino-Mercurial complex generated by Aminomercuration of
Phenyl-1-Propylene is reduced by Sodium Borohydride in a hydroxylic
solvent such as glacial Acetic Acid to yield Methamphetamine in an
estimated yield of 70-85% with no formation of the N,N-dimethyl dimer.

Total yield of process: somewhere in the high 70's minimum.

References? I took this shit off the top of my head, look it up 
yourself if your so goddamn skeptical.

*DISCLAIMER* - I can't be held responsible for your chemical stupidity
in attempting to duplicate said listed reactions for fun or profit
without full acknowledgement of the concommittant risks to life,
liberty, property, pets and foodstuffs.


--

      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
     .        <eleusis@netcom.com> - Finger me for my PGP Key          .
    .       _                                               _         .
   .       /o\    Give me lava lamps or give me death...   /o\       .
  .        \_/                                             \_/      .
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


----------------------------------------------

AMPHETAMINE SYNTHESIS CONTEST
CATEGORY:  ELEGANCE/EASE

Amino acids can be transformed into the corresponding aldehyde with
hypochlorite.  The phenylacetaldehyde obtained from phenylalanine via this
method can be refluxed in an appropriate solvent with methylamine to produce
the corresponding imine.  But you say "If I reduce this, I get phenethylamine,
which is utterly worthless".  Ah, yes indeed it is.  So, instead, the imine
is reductively alkylated with a methyl Grignard to produce methamphetamine.
 _                   _                _                   _
/ \___NH2   Bleach  / \__=O   MeNH2  / \__=NMe   MeMgBr  / \___NHMe
\_/  |      ----->  \_/       ---->  \_/         ----->  \_/  |
     CO2H
I will leave it as an excercise for the reader how this could be applied
towards other compounds of interest to this newsgroup.  One hint, look up
reference 2.  Answers will be critiqued, time permitting.
                                        Justified and Ancient,

                                        James
Refs.:
Org. Syn., Coll. v4 pp605-608
Tet. Lett., v23, n15, pp1577-1580


----------------------------------------------------



From: jgerken@sdcc15.ucsd.edu (Aramis)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
Subject: Re: My Submission for the Venerable Speed Contest
Date: 27 Feb 1996 06:28:57 GMT


        Category: Byzantine
                                         HO                 HO 
                        \                  \                  \
                         >=O                >=O                >
  ___    CH3COCl     ___/     NaOCl     ___/     LiAlH4    ___/
 / _ \  --------->  / _ \    ------->  / _ \    ------->  / _ \
< (_) >  AlCl3     < (_) >    H2O     < (_) >            < (_) >
 \___/              \___/              \___/              \___/
                     
step 1: Benzene is reacted with acetic chloride in the presence of
        aluminum chloride catalyst to form acetophenone via
        Friedel-Crafts acetylation.
     2: The acetophenone is reacted with alkaline hypochlorite to
        produce benzoic acid by haloform cleavage.
     3: The benzoic acid is treated with lithium aluminum hydride to
        form benzyl alcohol.
                                                             OH
   HO               Br               MgBr                ___/
     \               \                \                     \
      >               >                >                     >    
  ___/            ___/   Mg,       ___/     1) CH3CHO    ___/
 / _ \  ------>  / _ \  ------->  / _ \    ---------->  / _ \
< (_) >  PBr3   < (_) >  Et2O    < (_) >    2) H3O+    < (_) >
 \___/           \___/            \___/                 \___/
                     
     4: The benzyl alcohol is reacted with phosphorous tribromide to
        form benzyl bromide.
     5: The benzyl bromide is reacted with magnesium to form benzyl
        magnesium bromide Grignard.
     6: This Grignard is then reacted with acetaldehyde to form
        magnesium bromide phenyl-2-propoxide, which is then
        hydrolized.

      OH                          O                 NH2
     /                           //                / 
 ---<                        ---</             ---<  
     \                           \                 \
      >                           >                 >
  ___/                        ___/   NH3,       ___/ 
 / _ \  ------------------>  / _ \  -------->  / _ \ 
< (_) >  CrO3.ClH.pyridine  < (_) >  H2, Pt   < (_) >
 \___/                       \___/             \___/


     7: The phenyl-2-propanol is then reacted with pyridinium chloro
        chromate to form phenyl-2-propanone.
     8: The phenyl-2-propanone is then reacted with ammonia and
        reduced with hydrogen over a platinum catalyst to form
        amphetamine.

Don't forget to wash up the glass ware when you're done.8-)
                                        Raging for the Machine,

                                        James
--
Don't give up the game until your heart stops beating...


From: jkenner@cello.gina.calstate.edu (Jason Kennerly)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
Subject: Re: My Submission for the Venerable Speed Contest
Date: 27 Feb 1996 17:48:31 -0800

Category: stupidest & most expensive

alpha-methyl-fentanyl is exaustively methylated with CH3I, then basified 
and heated. The decomposition products are collected and seperated. The 
P2Propanol section is oxidized to P2P, and racemic amphetamine 
(benzedrine - the cheesiest kind!) is produced by reductive amination 
with lowly ammonia.

a week or two's worth of a-me-F might even be enough precursor to make a 
line's worth...

--
     ____   ______  ________ _____
    /    \ |      \|   /\   |     \   jkenner@cello.gina.calstate.edu
   /      \|   _   \   \/   |  _   \  BORN TO BE WIRED... 
  /___/\   \___|>   >       |__|>   > 
 /         |       /   /\  |       /  "Despite all my rage I am still
 \_________|______/|___\/__|______/    just a rat in a cage" 
 finger me and make a pgp key come.            -SP




From: profmurphy@aol.com (ProfMurphy)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
Subject: Proposed Synths For Dan's Contest
Date: 26 Feb 1996 00:46:22 -0500


How about the obvious modification of your second proposal, Dan?
[1.]
Benzaldehyde -------------------->  2-nitro 1-phenyl propene
  EtNO2, trace n-BuNH2

------------------------------------------------>p-2-p
Fe, glacial Acetic acid (or aq. HCl, Fe, FeCl3)

  -------------------->  d,l methamphetamine
  1) Al-Hg amalgam, isopropanol,
      methylamine HCl, NaOH-H2O

Followed by a few starting from scratch:

[2.] Toluene (boiling)-------------------------------> benzyl halide
      Br2 (or  Cl2), UV 

EtOH---------------------------------------------.acetaldehyde
KMnO4 (or NaOCl or CrO3)

benzyl halide------------------------------>1-phenyl-2-propanol
Mg, Et2O, acetaldehyde

1-phenyl-2-propanol---------------------->p-2-p
KMnO4 (NaOCl, CrO3, etc), Et2O extraction

NH4Cl, formaldehyde------------------------->MeNH2

p-2-p--------------------------------------.>methamphetamine
MeNH2, Raney-Ni, EtOH, H2


[3.] Benzene--------------------------------->BzCH2CH3
      CH3CH2X (X=Br, Cl), FeCl3

-------------------------------------------->phenylacetic acid
KMnO4

-------------------------------------------->p-2-p
Acetic anhydride, catalytic pyridine

etc.


[4.] Corner Drug Store-------------------------->methamphetamine
      Handgun, ammunition

Just kidding, guys! How about:

[4.]  phenylalanine--------------------------------->amphetamine
     unpoisoned catalyst, H2, repeated reduction to alkane