Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Preparation of DMMTAV and DMDTAV Using DMAV for Environmental Applications: Synthesis, Purification, and Confirmation
Published on: March 9, 2018
A study of impurities in intermediates and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) samples produced via reductive
P Gimeno1, F Besacier, M Bottex
1Laboratoire de Police Scientifique de Lyon, 31 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 69134 Ecully, France.
Abstract:
Impurities found in various sources of precursors (sassafras oil, safrol, isosafrol, piperonal), intermediates (beta-nitroisosafrol, piperonylmethylketone (PMK)) and final product (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)) are presented and discussed. Particular attention is paid to the chemical origin of each impurity found in the prepared samples. Impurity profiles of isosafrol, piperonal, and PMK samples obtained from industrial sources or from sassafras oil were first compared. Then PMK samples produced from isosafrol through isosafrol glycol or through beta-nitroisosafrol were compared. At last, attention was paid to the reductive amination of PMK to MDMA using different reductive agents. Possible use of this profiling method to determine the synthesis route is discussed for all products.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Amines: Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones
Phase I Reactions: Reductive Reactions
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Oximes and Nitro Compounds
Though catalytic hydrogenation can reduce nitrobenzenes, the reduction is nonselective in the presence of other functional groups. For instance, if nitrobenzene contains an aldehyde group,...
Preparation of 1° Amines: Gabriel Synthesis
Strong bases like NaOH or KOH deprotonate the phthalimide to form the corresponding anion, which acts as a nucleophile. Further, the anion attacks an...
Basicity of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines
Preparation of 1° Amines: Hofmann and Curtius Rearrangement Overview

