mackolol - 12-9-2018 at 06:18
As i'm going through Shulgin's book TIHKAL for last days i came across DMT synthesis. It is synthesis that uses triethyl tryptammonium iodide. As i
see it's quite difficult, and i'm wondering why couldn't one just add NaOH and make freebase from this quaternary ammonium salt instead of hard
demethylation. And if i'm correct methyl group is that one hard to remove as in case of DIPT synthesis he just adds isopropyl iodide to tryptamine and
makes freebase from it with lye. So why can't it be made with methyl iodide as well?
Loptr - 12-9-2018 at 06:25
Likely due to steric hinderence that moderates overalkylation to a quaternary amine. Methyl iodide would be a lot more mobile for the same
reason..lack of steric hinderence.
EDIT: I meant that the addition of isopropyl iodide to the nitrogen is probably limited to dialkylation due to steric hindrance, so the NaOH isn't
dealkylating anything because it was never a tertiary amine.
[Edited on 12-9-2018 by Loptr]
mackolol - 12-9-2018 at 10:20
ok thanks very much.