Phenylacetone
Encyclopedia
Phenylacetone is an organic compound
. It is a clear oil with a refractive index
of 1.5168. This substance
is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine
and amphetamine
as a starting material or intermediate
, where it is commonly known as P2P. Due to the illicit uses in clandestine chemistry
, it was declared a schedule II controlled substance in the United States
11. February 1980.
and Alexander Shulgin
. Large amounts of data are available on the Internet relating to the preparation of phenylacetone.
A conceptually simple example of phenylacetone organic synthesis
is the Friedel-Crafts alkylation
of benzene
with chloroacetone
.
Phenylacetone can also be produced from many other compounds. For example:
Phenyl acetone is used as an intermediate to produce pesticides and anticoagulants. Active ingredients as anticoagulant include:
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...
. It is a clear oil with a refractive index
Refractive index
In optics the refractive index or index of refraction of a substance or medium is a measure of the speed of light in that medium. It is expressed as a ratio of the speed of light in vacuum relative to that in the considered medium....
of 1.5168. This substance
Chemical substance
In chemistry, a chemical substance is a form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. It cannot be separated into components by physical separation methods, i.e. without breaking chemical bonds. They can be solids, liquids or gases.Chemical substances are...
is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
and amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
as a starting material or intermediate
Reaction intermediate
A reaction intermediate or an intermediate is a molecular entity that is formed from the reactants and reacts further to give the directly observed products of a chemical reaction. Most chemical reactions are stepwise, that is they take more than one elementary step to complete...
, where it is commonly known as P2P. Due to the illicit uses in clandestine chemistry
Clandestine chemistry
Clandestine chemistry is chemistry carried out in secret, and particularly in illegal drug laboratories. Larger labs are usually run by gangs or organized crime intending to produce for distribution on the black market...
, it was declared a schedule II controlled substance in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
11. February 1980.
Preparation
There are many methods in the scientific literature to prepare phenylacetone, and due to its status as a controlled substance, there is crossover into popular literature such as works by Uncle FesterUncle Fester (author)
Uncle Fester is the nom de plume of Steve Preisler, author of such controversial books as Secrets of Methamphetamine Manufacture, and Silent Death.-Short bio:...
and Alexander Shulgin
Alexander Shulgin
Alexander "Sasha" Theodore Shulgin is an American pharmacologist, chemist, artist, and drug developer.Shulgin is credited with the popularization of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially for psychopharmaceutical use and the treatment of depression and...
. Large amounts of data are available on the Internet relating to the preparation of phenylacetone.
A conceptually simple example of phenylacetone organic synthesis
Organic synthesis
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
is the Friedel-Crafts alkylation
Friedel-Crafts reaction
The Friedel–Crafts reactions are a set of reactions developed by Charles Friedel and James Crafts in 1877. There are two main types of Friedel–Crafts reactions: alkylation reactions and acylation reactions. This reaction type is a form of electrophilic aromatic substitution...
of benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
with chloroacetone
Chloroacetone
Chloroacetone is a chemical compound with the formula 3CCH2. At STP it is a colourless liquid with a pungent odour. On exposure to light, it turns to a dark yellow-amber colour. It was used as a tear gas in World War I.-Applications:...
.
Phenylacetone can also be produced from many other compounds. For example:
- phenylacetic acidPhenylacetic acidPhenylacetic acid is an organic compound containing a phenyl functional group and a carboxylic acid functional group. It is a white solid with a disagreeable odor...
is distilled with lead acetateLead acetateLead acetate can refer to:* Lead acetate , Pb4* Lead acetate , Pb2...
or calcium acetateCalcium acetateThe chemical compound calcium acetate is the calcium salt of acetic acid. It has the formula Ca2. Its standard name is calcium acetate, while calcium ethanoate is the systematic IUPAC name. An older name is acetate of lime...
to yield phenylacetone. - benzaldehydeBenzaldehydeBenzaldehyde is an organic compound consisting of a benzene ring with a formyl substituent. It is the simplest aromatic aldehyde and one of the most industrially useful. This colorless liquid has a characteristic pleasant almond-like odor...
is reacted with nitroethaneNitroethaneNitroethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula C2H5NO2. Similar in many regards to nitromethane, nitroethane is an oily liquid at standard temperature and pressure. Pure nitroethane is colourless and has a fruity odor.- Preparation :...
yielding phenyl-2-nitropropenePhenyl-2-nitropropenePhenyl-2-nitropropene is a chemical compound with the chemical formula is C9H9NO2. It can be produced by the reaction of benzaldehyde and nitroethane in the presence of a basic catalyst. It can be reduced in the presence of a catalyst to produce phenylacetone, which is a controlled precursor of...
, which is reduced, usually in the presence of acid, to phenylacetone.
Phenyl acetone is used as an intermediate to produce pesticides and anticoagulants. Active ingredients as anticoagulant include:
- BrodifacoumBrodifacoumBrodifacoum is a highly lethal vitamin K antagonist anticoagulant poison. In recent years, it has become one of the world's most widely used pesticides...
- ChlorophacinoneChlorophacinoneChlorophacinone is an anticoagulant used as a rodenticide....
- Coumachlor
- DifenacoumDifenacoumDifenacoum is a coumarin derivative. It has anticoagulant effects and is used as a rodenticide.-Uses:Difenacoum is sold as blue-green pellets intended to be ingested by pests such as rats and mice.-Safety and toxicity:...
- Diphacinane
- 2-Pivaloyl-1,3-indandione
- 2-Isovaleryl-1,3-indandione
- WarfarinWarfarinWarfarin is an anticoagulant. It is most likely to be the drug popularly referred to as a "blood thinner," yet this is a misnomer, since it does not affect the thickness or viscosity of blood...
See also
- MDP2PMDP2P3,4-phenyl-2-propanone , is a chemical compound consisting of a phenylacetone moiety substituted with a methylenedioxy functional group, an entactogen and stimulant of the phenethylamine, amphetamine, and cathinone classes...
- related compound with a methylenedioxy group, and a precursor to MDMA.