Basic and neutral route specific impurities in MDMA prepared by different synthesis methods

In this work, the neutral and basic impurities found in the precipitate of MDMA·HCl are presented. MDMA·HCl was prepared by the most popular synthesis methods used in clandestine manufacture, i.e. safrole bromination, Leuckart method and reductive amination with various reducing agents: Al/Hg, NaBH4, NaBH3CN. 3,4-Methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone (MDP-2-P), the starting material in Leuckart reaction and reductive amination, was prepared by two different synthesis methods, i.e. by isosafrole oxidation and MDP-2-nitropropene reduction. The extraction of impurities was performed under alkaline and neutral conditions. Impurity profiles were obtained using GC/MS. Each synthesis method is characterised by its own route specific impurities. The influence of pH on the extraction of synthesis markers from 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) samples is discussed and comparison of the profiles of basic and neutral impurities is presented.