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8/6/2019 Birth of Lucy

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Lysergic acid diethylamide

Directory

Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1

Synthesis overview ....................................................................................................................... 2

Chemicals ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Equipment ................................................................................................................................... 4

Process ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Safety precautions.…………………………………………………….....................................................................6

Disclaimer………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7



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1. Introduction

LSD or D-lysergic acid diethylamide is a remarkable compound with a unique

chemical structure as well as fascinating pharmacological effects. First

synthesized in 1938 by Albert Hofmann, this substance rapidly gained notoriety

as an untamable catalyst of the Sixties

counterculture.

With the end of the hippie era, the death of Grateful

Dead singer Jerry García, the arrests of various large

scale LSD manufacturers and the discovery of newpotent and easy to synthesize psychedelics, the

production of LSD has declined to its trough (2010).

In spite of everything the demand has not decreased. Due to the fact that the

illicit market for LSD has historically never been profit oriented, this pestering

demand remains unsatisfied. One gram of pure D-lysergic diethylamide will, at

a dosage of 100µg per use, theoretically suffice for 10 000 cosmic experiences,

which leads to the legitimate question since the required dosage is so low, why

is there not more LSD available?

The most common assumptions are the high penalties for LSD production and

distribution, the difficulty of obtaining watched precursors and the high

financial effort involved in the construction of an adequate laboratory. I will

show you, that all of these assumptions are true (you didn’t think it would be

that easy ;-), but nonetheless conquerable if one has the dedication.

If you read this document carefully, it will provide you a valuable overview of the processes involved, which should be understandable even without

extensive prior knowledge. It is not, however, a guide to manufacture LSD with

household chemicals in your garage without prior laboratory experience! (Sorry

laymen)



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2. Synthesis Overview

I chose to illustrate Alexander Shulgin’s route: ergotamine tartrate via D-

lysergic acid hydrate to D-lysergic acid diethylamide tartrate, because it is a

simple, relatively safe and well-yielding synthesis route. It has unfortunately

two major downsides if one has limited access to chemicals:

1. ergotamine tartrate, which is closely watched as an obvious precursor for

illicit LSD production and

2. POCl3, which is closely watched because it is a precursor in the production of

the nerve gas sarin.

But even those two are far from being unavailable, if one remembers the fact

that regulations differ in definition and execution throughout the various

places on this planet. Furthermore, numerous people completely disregard the

idea that any regulations apply to them whatsoever, they just follow the law of

business. Thus a dedicated individual simply needs to exploit the failures of this

capitalistic system - which is not a hard task as these are abundant - in order to

procure the necessary ingredients for the very substance that has the ability to

disassemble this ugly construct.

For the synthesis summary please refer to TIHKAL by Alexander Shulgin

(chemical #26). This section of the book is also widely available on the internet.

Install ambient yellow light in the room that you work in and for the especially

sensitive stage switch to red light to minimize the formation of lumi-LSD

[inactive] that occurs under the presence of light.

This synthesis can be done in three days.

The scale is rather manageable and the

required amounts of chemicals are low.

Nonetheless the yield can potentially be

3g of pure LSD, which would mean 30.000

trips at a dosage of 100µg.



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An accurate working manner and a problem-free synthesis are of course

required to ensure the highest possible yield.

Great focus should be placed on the preparation and on the chemist’s ability to

improvise. Although many issues can be worked out before hand, coincidence

always plays a part and it is therefore important to have a fast and critical mind

when attempting any organic synthesis. One should be able to adapt the

calculations of ratios on the spot, recognize dangerous developments [e.g.: a

light blue liquid is seen in the cold trap -> liquid O2 condensed in the cold trap,

highly explosive!] and always have spare glassware at reach.

Purification at the end of the synthesis is essential for safe product. A very good

article about LSD purity and the issues concerned with unidentifiedcomponents of LSD samples can be found here.

It indicates that, if thorough purification is neglected, the final product may be

contaminated with substantial amounts of iso-LSD and unreacted ergotamine

tartrate, which would pose serious health risks and may be an explanation for

the harsh somatic effects occasionally attributed to samples of street LSD

[i.e.: ‘bad acid’].



All Solvents should be anhydr

C4H6O6 D-tartaric acid (anh

C33H35N5O5

Ergotamine tartrat

C4H11N

Diethylamine

POCl3

Phosphoryl chlorid

CHCl3

Chloroform

C6H6

Benzene

3.Chemicals

us!

ydrous)

5



Et2O

Diethyl ether

EtOHEthanol

MeOH

Methanol

H2SO4

Sulfuric acid

NH3

Ammonia

Al2O3 (or silica)

Aluminium oxide

MgSO4

Magnesium sulfate

NH4OH

Ammonium hydrox

KOH

Potassium Hydroxi

H2O (deionized)

Water

All Solvents should be anhydr

ide

e

us!

6



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4. Equipment

Magnetic stirrer, incl. heating

cost: 250$

Rotary reflux, vacuum evaporator (incl. vacuum controller

and vacuum pump) *

cost: 5 000 $

Chromatography apparatus (column will be easiest)

cost: 40 $

Precision balances *

cost: 3000 $

and



Mel

cost

Refr

cost

Han

cost

and

Filte

Ice

ing point measurement apparatus *

: 1000 $

igerator

: 800 $

UV light

: 30 $

Long wave light (red, yellow)

rs (paper, glass or other filtration met

ath - simply ice cubes in water, or

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hods)

cold acetone



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Glassware

pH meter

cost: 150 $ *

For the maintenance of an inert atmosphere:

Argon (inert gas)

High vacuum pump

cost: 1000 $

One of the following two options:

Schlenk line **

cost: 4000



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5. Process

Important note: Before attempting the synthesis, everything should already beset in place, calculations should be complete, sufficient availability of all

required chemicals should be confirmed, apparatuses should be checked for

functionality, safety precautions should be taken and at least a second person

should be present. Sobriety and undisturbed concentration are very important!

1. Install your setup of choice for the inert atmosphere

2. Put 100ml of H2O and a stirring bar in a suitable flask on a hotplate; under stirring gradually add 6.7g KOH; set the temperature

to 75 °C

3. Add 10g of Ergotamine tartrate and leave the mixture stirring for 4

hours; the Et should be completely dissolved after about an hour;

4. After 4 hours cool the reaction mixture to 10 °C with an external

ice bath; use a ph meter and add H2SO4 (2.5 N -> 1.25 mol/L)

dropwise until the pH drops to 3.0, this should require about 60ml

of H2SO4; white solids will fall out of solution;

5. Leave the reaction mixture cooled over night;

6. [Next day:] Remove the solids by filtration and wash the filter cake

with 10ml Et2O; Place the dry solids in a beaker with a stirring bar;

7. Prepare a solution of anhydrous EtOH with 15% Ammonia;

8. Add 50ml of this solution to the beaker containing the solids; Stir

this mixture for 1 hour, then separate by decantation;

9. Repeat step 8 (with the leftover solids), combine the two

decantations and remove the solids by filtration; discard the solids

(a few hundred mg) as they are unwanted;

10. Place the clear filtrate under vacuum to remove solvent until drysolids are left in the flask;



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20. Recrystallize the LSD base from C6H6; Melting point should be

between 87 – 92 °C;

Store it cold, dry, dark and in the absence of air!

21. Weigh the LSD free-base and per gram of LSD base separatelyprepare 0.232g of dry D-tartaric acid and 4mL of warm, anhydrous

MeOH;

22. Dissolve the LSD base under stirring in the prepared warm MeOH

[4mL per gram of LSD base] and add dry D-tartaric acid [0.232g per

gram of LSD base];

23. To this clear and warm solution add Et2O dropwise until the

cloudiness does not dispel on continued stirring;

24. Put the solution in the refrigerator overnight; Crystals will form;

Prepare a 1:1 MeOH/Et2O mixture in one flask and in a separate

flask just MeOH and put these two flasks also in the refrigerator;

25. [Next day:] Remove the crystals by filtration, wash them sparingly

with cold methanol and with the cold 1:1 MeOH/Et2O mixture,

then let the product dry;

26. This product is impure D-lysergic acid diethylamide tartrate!

Melting point should be around 200 °C;

27. To purify the material, perform repeated recrystallizations from

methanol which will produce a product that becomes

progressively less soluble, and eventually virtually insoluble, as the

purity increases;

Store it cold, dark, dry and in the absence of air!

Note: Prior to contemplating a bioassay of the product, its actual composition

and purity should be determined by HPLC or other precise methods (e.g.: GC /

MS) and the material has to be further purified if considerable impurities are

present!



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6. Safety precautions

Ergot alkaloids are extremely poisonous substances and any direct contact

(skin, inhalation, ingestion) must be avoided at all times, or serious injury and

death could be the consequence! In case of ergot poisoning medical attention

has to be sought immediately to prevent fatality!

Rubber gloves have to be worn during the synthesis and caution has to be

applied when taking them of (don’t ever touch the gloves with your bare

hands!).

Always wear safety glasses!

Two fire extinguishers should be placed not too far from the work area;

vacuum evaporations do pose a relevant risk of fire hazard!

Never use a cell phone in the laboratory!

A reliable and powerful ventilation system has to be installed in the laboratory

to prevent a dangerous accumulation of toxic volatile chemicals.

Consider situating your Schlenk line behind a vertically sliding safety glass wall

to decrease the risk of injuries in case of an implosion or explosion![Slide it up just so high that your hands fit through and reasonably comfortable

work is possible]

Animals and uninvolved, irresponsible and/or incalculable individuals are

strictly prohibited in the laboratory!

Smoking is strictly forbidden in the laboratory (and harmful everywhere else

too)!

Sobriety and full concentration are essential during every visit to thelaboratory, even when one is not working on a synthesis!



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7. Disclaimer

This work is nothing more than a convenient summary of information that was

discovered and gathered by brilliant minds. Credit has to be given to those

people for their ability to discover what lay unwatched before and to introduce

it to mankind.

The prohibition of drugs is without a doubt the outcome of the fact that

intelligent and conscious people have historically declined societal leadership

positions, partly because they do not need to be lead by anyone and thus

decide to completely refrain from this hierarchical system. The devastating

impact that stupidity has on this planet has become more than obvious in

recent years and it is now the time to completely eradicate selfishness.

I do not endorse the foul play of lying. It has to be pointed out that in my

perception it is marginal what substance or what action anybody else, who

does not at least exhibit the mental capacities or is afraid to understand

him/herself respectively views as “forbidden”. It seems to be the prevalent

method amongst the mentally retarded and paranoid to declare things and

concepts that exceed their understanding as “dangerous” and “forbidden”.

If you want to judge me, I ask you: what am I? Am I the photo and the name onmy driving license? The genetic code that is imprinted in the base sequence of

my DNA? Am I the concepts and contemplations that constitute what is

referred to as my consciousness? Am I a mere product of society? It can not be

determined. Identity is a flowing illusion and a common misconception of those

that lack the prerequisites for deeper insights. In any way, a judgment on the

bases of words is inadequate in a world that so miraculously surmounts the

narrow limitations of language. We are all one and everything, always.

Yours sincerely,

The Universe

PS.: Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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