Synthesis[edit]
Theophylline (1) is alkylated with 2-bromochloroethane [107-04-0] (2) to give 7-(2-Chloroethyl)theophylline (aka Benaphyllin, Eupnophile) [5878-61-5] (3). Displacment of the remaining halogen leaving group by the primary amine in amphetamine [300-62-9] (4) gives fenethylline (5).
…
- Rücker, Gerhard; Neugebauer, Martina; Neugebauer, Michael; Heiden, Paul-G. (1987). “Zur chemischen Stabilität des Fenetyllins”. Archiv der Pharmazie. 320 (12): 1272–1275. doi:10.1002/ardp.198700045.
- ^ Kohlstaedt Dr Erwin, Klingler Dr Karl-Heinz, DE 1123329 (1962 to Chemiewerk Homburg Zweignieder).
So, how tough is this? Not that we’re going to go into business competing with the Syriian government, obviously, we all prefer living much too much for that.
But as a technical matter, how tough is this synthesis?
I can’t see where the extra Nitrogen comes from.
Alkylations are generally easy, alkylating agents are generally rather unpleasant. So a two step synthesis like this is technically not much of a challenge, depending upon scale, end purity requirements etc. Doing it safely and legally would be the interesting part.
jgh – the first image is corrupted and missing a nitrogen in the purine ring.
Would someone please be so kind as to explain this to layfolk?
Is this Walter White level?
As a technical matter?
Pretty easy. Kitchen-top level easy if you’re feeling suicidal and have the raw ingredients.
Safely? Some decent lab equipment, but nothing really fancy. Late 19th/early 20thC tech, most of which is in the public domain.
And taught to freshmen chemists/biologists as a general skill/example of protocol in some variety or other as an exercise in extraction/purification/modification.
You just need lots and lots of tea to do it at scale..
Or… ( stuff left out for obvious reasons ) But no, it isn’t hard at all, nor does it require any special skills. You don’t need to understand the protocol, you just have to be accurate in executing the steps.
Geoffers, the process being asked about is the taking of a molecule of theophylline (a natural product very similar to caffeine) and sticking it to a molecule of amphetamine (aka speed) to make a third drug. Your body apparently then breaks it back down to the original drugs on consumption, so why they bother to do this I’ve no idea.
I’m guessing as our host is asking about this there is some economic angle, such as why is there value in fiddling about with an already illegal and psychoactive drug (amphetamine) rather than selling it directly. Might be off the mark here of course
Big piece out there about how Syria is making this stuff and shipping across the Middle East. Vast illegal market. Preferred version of meth in those climes apparently.
Just wondered how technically difficult this was.
Looking on Wikipedia reveals all sorts of interesting stuff. So alcohol is bad but speed is good?
“a member of the Saudi royal family [..] and four others were detained in Beirut [..] after airport security discovered two tons of [..] fenethylline pills and some cocaine on a private jet scheduled to depart for [..] Riyadh”
“so why they bother to do this I’ve no idea.”
The formulation has not yet been described in the Official Banned Lists? And as such are not technically illegal?
Lots of “designer drugs” made exactly for that reason…
No, think this is banned. Used to be a dispensary drug, now isn;t as well
@Grikath
The formulation has not yet been described in the Official Banned Lists? And as such are not technically illegal?
Lots of “designer drugs” made exactly for that reason…
The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 changed all that, or at least it attempted to, in the UK.
It prohibited the production (plus use, sale, supply etc) of any ‘psychoactive substance’:
(1)A person commits an offence if—
(a)the person intentionally produces a psychoactive substance,
(b)the person knows or suspects that the substance is a psychoactive substance, and
(c)the person—
(i)intends to consume the psychoactive substance for its psychoactive effects, or
(ii)knows, or is reckless as to whether, the psychoactive substance is likely to be consumed by some other person for its psychoactive effects.
Psychoactive substances are defined somewhat widely…
(1)In this Act “psychoactive substance” means any substance which—
(a)is capable of producing a psychoactive effect in a person who consumes it, and
(b)is not an exempted substance (see section 3).
(2)For the purposes of this Act a substance produces a psychoactive effect in a person if, by stimulating or depressing the person’s central nervous system, it affects the person’s mental functioning or emotional state; and references to a substance’s psychoactive effects are to be read accordingly.
(3)For the purposes of this Act a person consumes a substance if the person causes or allows the substance, or fumes given off by the substance, to enter the person’s body in any way.
Thanks Interested.
I see alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and food are exempted. I did wonder.
The chemistry is always the easiest part. Shipping the stuff around the Middle East’s various shit tips is the tricky part.
And at the end of the day, it’s still just speed ie rubbish.
Going to Saudi Arabia and setting up shop in a camper van in the desert seems extremely suicidal. You are pretty much only playing Russian Roulette with your cause of death.
What’s the next question? Margin on street dealing heroin in Thailand? Partner wanted for bong store in Singapore? Bulk shipment prices for opium to China?
Tim, I hope things are not that desperate.
so why they bother to do this I’ve no idea.
Does the one get past sniffy dogs while they find the other?
This looks like it’s just “processed” caffeine. My memory of the details is faulty, but I remember a time when there was such a shortage of cough medicine drugs that it was cheaper to score some street amphatamines and reverse it back into its cough medicine antecedants.
The whole point of this sort of designer drug chemistry is to tweak the bonds so it’s no longer something that is a class A drug, yet has exactly the same effects so commands the same street price