Significant Determinants of Isotope Composition During HI/Pred Synthesis of Methamphetamine
Gabrielle E. David A , D. Brynn Hibbert B , Russell D. Frew A and Alan R. Hayman A CA Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
B School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: hayman@chemistry.otago.ac.nz
Australian Journal of Chemistry 63(1) 22-29 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH09429
Submitted: 7 August 2009 Accepted: 20 November 2009 Published: 8 January 2010
Abstract
Methamphetamine HCl was synthesized using three variations of the hydriodic acid/red phosphorus (HI/Pred) synthetic route. A Plackett-Burman experimental design was used to determine how reaction parameters affected the isotopic composition of the product. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry results showed only the source of precursor 13C was significant in determining product δ 13C; the manufacturer, reaction temperature, time, scale, and source of HI were not significant. The precursor was also the main determinant of product δ 2H, with smaller contributions from the HI source for one method. From precursor to product, large δ 2H depletion occurred for most samples. Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2H NMR) was used to investigate the specific site of this. Significant fraction of deuterium was observed only at the benzylic position, the site of hydrogen addition during synthesis. Methamphetamine synthesized from ephedrine was shown to be depleted in this position.
Acknowledgement
Financial support from the University of Otago Postgraduate Publishing Award (PhD), Tertiary Education Commission Enterprise Scholarship (GED) and Iso-trace NZ Ltd IRMS samples run by Iso-trace NZ Ltd 2H NMR samples run by Mervyn Thomas, University of Otago. Environmental Science and Research Ltd for information on current clandestine synthetic trends and supply of the ESR samples
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