Sodium Hydroxide → Morphine

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

About 8.43 g of morphine sulfate and about 40 mL of water are added to an Easy Max™ set at 350 RPM agitation rate. The mixture becomes clear and is then heated to about 65° C. The pH is checked and determined to be about 5. About 10 mL of pre-made solution in water of 1 M NaOH is added to the mixture. Solids are formed. About 5 mL of pre-made solution in water of 1 M NaOH is added to the mixture. The pH is checked and determined to be about 6. A few NaOH pellets are added to the mixture. Heating and stirring is continued for about 2 hours. The mixture is then cooled to about 50° C., filtered under vacuum filtration and washed several times with water. The pH of the filtrate is checked and determined to be about 13. The filtrate is dried at about 45° C. under vacuum for about 12-24 hours. The resulting solids are analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction and determined to be morphine free base.

Provenance & Evidence