Rxn: Safrole -(Wacker Oxidation (PdCl2+Benzoquinone))-> MDP2P
This step has been called the Wacker Oxidation. It uses PdCl2 as a catalyst to put and oxygen across a double bond. This step has been worked over many times so do not change the amounts for the fabled 'scale-up'. If you do this correctly, you will have more MDMA.HCl than you know what to do with. (Thanks Strike!)
Procedure:
Put the following into your CLEAN 1000mL RBFlask:
300mL of dimethylformamide (DMF), 50mL of tap water, 120g of p-Benzoquinone 2g of Palladium Chloride (PdCl2), Magnetic Stirbar. (PS - Don't skimp on the catalyst!)
Start the stir bar on 'slow stir'. Mix 160g of Safrole and 50mL DMF in a cup/jar. Drip the Safrole/DMF Mix into the solution at room temp (30°C) over 30min time. After the addition, the solution was dark reddish orange. Almost black. Make sure the stir bar is spinning - Now - Walk away. Go to bed. Go somewhere else. Set your watch alarm to wake/remind you 7 hours later. Note: This reaction requires NO additional heating! Just stir!
The reaction mix was flooded with slightly acidic water (~50mL of Muriatic Acid (HCl) in 1.5L of water). The oil fell out of solution to the bottom. It was black/blood red in color. This is when its nice to have a Big Sep Funnel.
After you flood the reaction contents shake the container to mix the solution, give it about 10 minutes to settle - two layers will form. The upper aqueous layer was a lighter blood red/pink. The upper aqueous layer was decanted from the oil (IE it was poured off). The aqueous Layer washed with 2x100mL DCM (Methylene Chloride / DiChloroMethane). If you can't see the layers, hold the container up to the light, so that the light shines through the container. Keep the DCM washes - They contain the goods.
You now should have about 200mL total of DCM washes. You should also have about ~100mL of the 'Organic Layer' that you separated from the reaction contents. Pour the DCM washes and the Organic layer together. Now wash the DCM/Organic layer with 2x150mL 10% NaOH (30g NaOH in 270mL water). This will remove the other reaction by-product - hydroquinone. If you don't do this step the hydroquinone will clog your condenser when you try to distill. Keep the DCM/Organic layer. The NaOH layer (Aqueous: is still on top) can be tossed. (Thanks Osmium!)
You can stop here and wait for another day - put the DCM/Organic Layer into the freezer.
Step 4. (4 hours work)
4. Distillation: of Reaction contents to yield pure MDP2P
Pour the DCM/Organic layer into your CLEAN 500mL RBFlask. Put several boiling stones in too. Set up for vacuum distillation.This time we are going to collect a particular fraction in the flask - there is DCM (BP 40°C), water (BP 100°C), DMF (153°C), safrole (232°C), ketone (BP est. ~290°C), and polymerized crap (BP ~300°C+)
Now remember when we distilled the safrole? What temp did it come over for you? Well - that temp plus approximately 25°C is the temp that the ketone will come over under vacuum. For example, if your safrole comes over at 150°C, then the ketone will come over at 175°C. If your safrole comes over at 130°C then your ketone will come over at 155°C. Get it?
WEIGH the receiving flask! Write the weight on a piece of tape and tape it to the flask!
Start your vacuum distillation by first turning on your vacuum - if you remembered your boiling stones, then it will begin to boil immediately. This is the DCM coming off first. The boiling may be very vigorous, So watch it, and be prepared to vary the pressure so it won't fly into your receiving flask. Turn on the heat (Hotplate) SLOWLY! and let the temp climb to just over the temp at which safrole came over (SLOWLY: it should take at least 2 hours to reach that temperature - if you do it in under 2 hours you are going WAY to fast). You are going to have to change the flask, when the temp gets to above the safrole temp. This is a bit tricky, because you are going to have to release the vacuum. Release the vacuum at the pump/aspirator and change the flask quickly - you may just dump it out, rinse it once with acetone, or IPA (IsoPropylAlcohol) - and put it back. Start the vacuum immediately, but be careful here, because the Organic layer that you are distilling might jump out of the flask and into the receiving flask - so if you can - vary the vacuum so that the vacuum comes on GRADUALLY! (IE with an aspirator, turn on the water slowly.) The ketone oil is a clear white/yellow hint of green oil. Re-weigh the flask for your yield calculation - you should have over 100g of ketone.
Strike's excellent post read: "With high vacuum at 100-140°C ~18g safrole came over. At 166°C came over ~125g ketone." When she did this method...
Keep the ketone. Smell it. Look at it. Look at how it refracts light. For the brave: taste it. Note all of these 'properties' and remember - After you have judged its properties, put it in the freezer. Note: it won't freeze. It will become a very viscous liquid.
If you try to distill the ketone at atmospheric pressure (no vacuum), you will get to about 220°C and then the whole flask will polymerize. Total waste of effort, time, and precursors. So don't mess around and get a vacuum source.
The ketone is unstable. It won't explode or anything, but if left to its own devises, it will rearrange. And then it will be useless. At room temp, it will rearrange in about a week - depending on where you live - if you keep it in the freezer - it can last months - FREEZER! After its in the freezer you can stop for today.
@G.Patton
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