The Origin of Alkenes in Illicit Amphetamine: An Examination of the Illicit Synthesis of Phenyl-2-Propanone

The acylative decarboxylation reaction of phenylacetic acid, a method used in clandestine laboratories for the synthesis of phenyl-2-propanone, has been examined. It has been demonstrated that this reaction is accompanied by side-reactions that produce characteristic neutral compounds, some of these...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forensic sciences 1992-09, Vol.37 (5), p.1311-1318
Main Authors: Forbes, IJ, Paul Kirkbride, K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphetamines
Chromatography
Forensic chemistry
Legal Medicine
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Medicine, Legal
Pharmacology
Science & Technology
Spectrum analysis
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Summary:The acylative decarboxylation reaction of phenylacetic acid, a method used in clandestine laboratories for the synthesis of phenyl-2-propanone, has been examined. It has been demonstrated that this reaction is accompanied by side-reactions that produce characteristic neutral compounds, some of these are cis and trans 1,3-diphenyl-2-methylpropene and the enol acetates derived from dibenzylketone and phenyl-2-propanone. It would be difficult for an unskilled chemist to separate these neutral substances from phenyl-2-propanone, therefore illicit phenyl-2-propanone is likely to be an impure product. The use of crude phenyl-2-propanone in reductive amination reactions aimed at amphetamine production gives rise to a complex mixture of amines and characteristic neutral compounds. The likely origins of N-acetylamphetamine and amphetamine benzaldimine are also discussed.
ISSN:0022-1198
1556-4029
DOI:10.1520/JFS13318J