Ormarion
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Nitroethane synthesis trouble
Hello, i decided to create this post to maybe gather some opinions about the last test i did on nitroethane and its synthesis
I have been spending a few weeks on trying to improve its synthesis following different procedure without real success
(My goal would be to obtain enough in order to perfome some tiffeneau demjanov test)
I obviously tried the sodium ethyl sulfate pathway but the yeild obtained are really terrible
The second test i have done were to react ethyl bromide with NaNO2 using DMF as a solvent (all reagent were dried correctly). The reaction seem to
perfom well as it heat up for several hours on its own (at around 40°C) and a very obvious precipitate form (NaBr i presume). After overnight
stirring the mixture was added to 2 time its volume of ice cold water and extracted with DCM, the organic layer was then removed with my rotavap and
the obtained liquid was shortpath distilled
In the end i obtained a yellow liquid with a density of 0,95 (DMF density basically) boiling between 115 and 130°C. I tried to do a flame test and
surprisingly after a bit of heating it produce a weak white flame (I must also precise the liquid definitely have this acrid smell characteristic of
nitroethane). I then tried to do mix the liquid in water but no phase separation occured... (maybe could attemp a extraction using LiCl ?)
Apparently im not the first one to who it happened to have issues during purification (some friends of mine got the same issues), someone i know also
reported negative result using DMSO instead of DMF
My next try would probably involve using silver nitrite but even if you can recover the silver in the end it seem quite a lost to me
Any help would be welcome ! Thanks for reading
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Fery
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Yes these nitroalkanes burn with white flame. Nitroethane has very nice fruity scent. AgNO3 is too expensive. I cannot find from where I got
nitroethane (it was years ago). I just found in documents that I got nitropropane from es-drei.de, SKU S1000710.25, but not nitroethane.
https://shop.es-drei.de/alkane/6637/1-nitropropan-min.-98?nu...
Someone is selling nitroethane from Italy (your neighboring country) on ebay, but the price seems to be unfair high for me:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=nitroethane
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184636411795
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Ormarion
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Well i ended up ordering some from S3 as they are trusted seller i have even if it was pretty expensive. I just dont rly want to order such chemical
from shady seller on ebay. However if anyone have proposition to improve the synth i would rly appreciate
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Fery
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You are right, I found that it could be misused as a precursor to illegal drugs, you do not know who is that ebay seller.
I found the synthesis you did in DMF solvent, by my opinion it looks like wasting a lot of solvents in 20-fold excess than the amount of the product
so the price of solvents exceeds the price of the product significantly. Attached the pdf.
Attachment: jr9440000024.pdf (152kB)
This file has been downloaded 407 times
Then I found this:
https://erowid.org/archive/rhodium/chemistry/nitroethane.htm...
experiment 18 - someone tried to oxidize alanine with KMnO4 and decarboxylate the acid. They encountered well known problem for me, how nasty is fine
MnO2 freshly produced from KMnO4 (I did few oxidations of oleic acid into azelaic so I really know not theoretically but practically and decades ago
toluene into benzoic acid and naphthalene into phthalic acid). And the worse that they do not mention whether ever they got some yield.
| Quote: |
Method 18: Oxidation of alanine with permanganate followed by decarboxylation
Nitroethane via oxidation of alanine?
Theory
MeCH(NH2). COOH + 3(O) --> MeCH(NO2). COOH + H2O.
MeCH(NO2). COOH + NaOH --> MeCH(NO2). COONa.
MeCH(NO2). COONa + H2O --> MeCH2(NO2) + NaHCO3.
Procedure
A solution of potassium permanganate (0.3 mol) in water was made by dissolving 47.41 g KMnO4 in 400 mL hot water in a 1 L 3-necked flask fitted with a
reflux condenser, a stirbar[note 1], thermometer, and a 100-mL addition funnel. As the solution cools to room temperature fine crystals of KMnO4
crystallise out of solution[note 2]. A solution of alanine (0.1 mol, 8.91 g) in 65 mL of water was placed in the addition funnel and added dropwise
with stirring over a 20 minute period. The temperature slowly rose. When the addition was complete, the reaction mixture was heated to 60º over a
period of approximately 2 hours. 40 mL of acetone was added [note 3] and then the reaction mixture maintained at 70-85º [the sludge was extremely
viscous and the stirbar was of no use] for 2 hours. 0.1 mol sodium hydroxide in 20 mL of water was then added through the addition funnel.
Pause (to be completed).
The flask showed no sign of heating up after addition of the NaOH. By now the black/brown sludge will not mix (with the stir-bar). The next step
is to heat to 80-100C to decarboxylate any nitro-propionic acid and then to steam distil.
Notes:
1. An overhead stirrer is essential - the stirbar will get clogged with MnO2.
2. KMnO4 solubility is 1 in 3.5 parts of hot water and 1 in 14 parts of cold water.
3. The acetone was added to try to clear the sludge. I would have added more but I had second thoughts.
Refs:
1. Synthesis Of Aliphatic And Alicyclic Nitro Compounds; Org. Syn. p 131-132 [The Oxidation of Amines]
2. Organic Syntheses, Vol. 52, pp 77-82, 2-Metryl-2-Nitrosopropane and its Dimer, A. Calder, A. R. Forrester and S. P. Hepburn.
3. Vogel's Practical Organic Chemistry, 4th ed. P 564 'Nitromethane'.
Questions:
1. Is it safe to heat this mixture to 90C without a stirrer? [the next step to make sure that nitro-propionic acid is decarboxylated]
2. Should I improvise an overhead stirrer to finish this off?
3. Nitroethane will steam distill won't it?
4. Should the permanganate have been buffered?
5. I think the NaOH should have been in there from the start. The sodium salt of alanine would have been a better idea?
6a. Would the reaction benefit from taking place in an organic solvent?
6b. If so, what solvents are suitable apart from acetone?
I will repeat this - with an overhead stirrer and the addition of sodium salt of alanine rather than alanine followed by NaOH.
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then I found this video and the guy got some yield:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLArJ30X1_g
and there are of course few threads in our forum, the first one looks viable route and in the second one there are some useful suggestions:
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=15837
https://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=73...
So I would vote for buying the product. But I understand the beauty of chemistry and sometimes it is more satisfying to synthesize something than just
buying.
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Ormarion
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Thanks a lot this is a procedure i never saw before ! i will definitely give it a try on small scale
Also i must precise i didn't used the quantity of solvent they claimed, if i remember correctly thety used 600ml of DMF for 30g of NaNO2 and EtBr, i
only used 200 without issues on the way it went i believe
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Fery
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I found that alanine + KMnO4 gives something else: CO2, oxalic acid, ammonia, nitric acid.
Attachment: 1-s2.0-S0021925818914390-main.pdf (195kB)
This file has been downloaded 422 times
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Grizli7
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I got it from bromoethane via dimethyl sulfoxide - I didn’t really like the reaction. The yield is about 30% but I don’t remember exactly.
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zed
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Nitroethane is tough to make. Unfortunately, here in the USA, its sale is restricted.
Some of the guys here have suggested oxidizing Acetaldehyde Oxime, with
Sodium Perborate, in glacial Acetic Acid.
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clearly_not_atara
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Kornblum's method suggested EtBr and NaNO2 in DMF with catalytic urea and phloroglucinol or resorcinol. Since then, dozens of people have posted
reports of attempting the method without phloroglucinol or resorcinol and usually also without urea. They then complain that it doesn't work.
Urea is OTC but phloroglucinol is not. The green tea polyphenol "EGCG" is reputed to cause various health effects by supplement vendors even though
studies show it is not actually absorbed by the body. EGCG should mimic phloroglucinol or resorcinol at a 1:3 molar ratio (1 mole EGCG = 3 moles
phloroglucinol).
So one possibility is EtBr and NaNO2 in DMF with catalytic urea and EGCG. You will try this method without the catalysts and come back to complain
that it doesn't work. Don't say you weren't warned 
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zed
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And now, for something completely different!
A feller on-line claims he consulted an AI program, and it steered him to an electro-chemical approach.
Do not immediately reject the proposed synthesis, simply because at first glance it appears improbable.
Perhaps someone can try this procedure, and see if the product is really Nitroethane?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqJUpjsXd4
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Sir_Gawain
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I thought of trying the alanine oxidation process, but quickly realized that was not a good idea. The oxidized alanine intermediate is
3-nitropropionic acid, a potent mycotoxin that disables your bodys ability to make ATP.
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zed
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An Alanine oxidation process producing 3-Nitropropionic Acid? That seems very unlikely. Unless, of course you were to perform your oxidation on
B-Alanine. Standard Alanine is A-Alanine; wherein the amino group is attached to the carbon atom alpha to the carboxylic acid. A number of folks on
this forum have produced that 2-Nitro-Propionic Acid Esters via diazotization of Alanine Esters to produce Alpha Chloro-propionic acid Esters.
Followed by reaction with a Nitrate Salt. The problem being, subsequent decarboxylation of the Nitro-Acid (Ester?)usually fails, thus failing to
produce Nitroethane.
On the bright side, the Chloro-acid-ester itself, readily condenses with Benzaldehydes, to produce Glycidic Esters, which upon treatment with mineral
acids, rearrange into desirable ketones.
In the meantime, we were discussing simultaneously nitrating and decarboxylating Propionic acid at the alpha position, via electrolysis. A neat trick
if it can actually be done.
The experimenter plays down the importance of the outcome. Stating a yield of only 10 ml or so, from a very small scale experiment.
A lot of folks on this forum would dearly love to possess 10 ml of Nitroethane. Not easy to make. Not easy to purchase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqJUpjsXd4
[Edited on 8-3-2026 by zed]
[Edited on 8-3-2026 by zed]
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clearly_not_atara
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Electro-oxidation of alanine should produce 2-nitropropionic acid, not 3-nitropropionic acid. The 2-isomer is more susceptible to decarboxylation
because it resembles a beta-ketoacid.
Anyway I would be surprised if it is more toxic than bromine which people use frequently.
The bigger problem is the selectivity of the process and the potential to produce tar and byproducts that may include oxides of nitrogen and carbon
monoxide.
[Edited on 8-3-2026 by clearly_not_atara]
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zed
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Well, the diazotization of Alanine and the subsequent production of the A-Chloro-propionic ester, etc.... Clearly does produce Oxides of Nitrogen,
and the literature says so. So, if'n some of you young fellers out there are unawares; Oxides of Nitrogen are noxious gases (often reddish in high
concentrations) that really can kill you. Gotta avoid breathing them in. Insidious. You breath them in, and hours later, you die. Carbon Monoxide
will drop you in your tracks.
As far as I know, the electrochemical creation of Nitroethane isn't perilous. But, it might be!
If you are gonna attempt the reaction, utilize maximum paranoia. A well ventilated back porch, or an efficient fume hood, might be good places to
attempt this experiment.
Once again, I am including the relevant link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqJUpjsXd4
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TestTubeBoof
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I've been going down somewhat of a rabbit hole the past few days let me know if this could be feasible or if I've made any mistakes.
Either Tartaric acid or Ethanol reacted with Mno2 -> Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde + Hydroxylamine -> Acetaldoxime
Oxidation of Acetaldoxime to Nitro using Peracetic Acid.
Papers posted below.
Attachment: Barakat_et_al._-_Oxidation_of_Organic_Compounds_by_Solid_Manganese_Dioxide.pdf (226kB)
This file has been downloaded 30 times
Attachment: tsukanov2018-1.pdf (1.7MB)
This file has been downloaded 33 times
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Sir_Gawain
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Quote: Originally posted by zed  | An Alanine oxidation process producing 3-Nitropropionic Acid? That seems very unlikely. Unless, of course you were to perform your oxidation on
B-Alanine.
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I was referring to beta-alanine, should’ve specified
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clearly_not_atara
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Yes, unfortunately almost all practical methods can produce oxides of nitrogen. Oxidation of propane with nitric acid involves NOx, pseudonitrosite
nitration of anethole involves NOx, oxidation of alanine or beta-alanine at an anode will probably produce NOx unless there is a really great anode
out there.
Reactions of ethyl electrophiles with nitrite in hydrogen-bonding solvents gives mostly ethyl nitrite; in aprotic solvents gives mostly nitroethane.
Trouble is, nitrites won't really dissolve in aprotic solvents.
I am a little curious about the possibility of the neat reaction of diethyl oxalate with sodium nitrite. Perhaps nitroethane could be distilled off?
Triethyl phosphate might be another candidate. Work on a small scale behind a blast shield.
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zed
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The oxidization of Ethylamine via Sodium Perborate, in glacial acetic acid, might produce Nitroethane.
Of course, you must have some Ethylamine to oxidize, and Ethylamine is on a restricted sales list.
Still, it would appear that Ethylamine can be synthesized without too much trouble, from the Amide of Propionic Acid; via the Hofmann Reaction.
I personally have never synthesized Propionamide, but I have produced Formamide, just by heating Ammonium Formate.
Kinda standard; you heat the ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid, water is gradually eliminated, and after awhile you have have the amide.
Treating the amide with concentrated Chlorox, produces an amine. Yields may not be high, but the sequence should be inexpensive and easy.
There is an example on Youtube for the Hofmann rearrangement of Acetamide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaGNQVe9bX0&t=4s
It is at minute 11.
[Edited on 26-3-2026 by zed]
[Edited on 26-3-2026 by zed]
[Edited on 26-3-2026 by zed]
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Sir_Gawain
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Ethylamine is able to be made from the commonly available amino acid alanine, I plan on doing some experimentation with this process once I get my
lab moved. I have done some simple testing by heating a mixture of beta-alanine and sodium hydroxide in a test tube. The reaction is very clean and
once initiated, is self sustaining with a gentle exotherm. Surprisingly, there was no tar formed and the solids melt into a clear solution before
reacting. I noticed a strong ammonia-like smell and confirmed there was a highly basic gas being produced, but I don’t know yet if this is
ethylamine or ammonia.
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