From: nobody (Anonymous)
Date: 9 Aug 1994 23:20:12 -0700
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: GHB - A simple synthesis

I have attempted to post this via anon.penet.fi but after three days there 
has been no sign of it so I must assume someone has decided to eat it up. 
So if another copy turns up, please forgive me.


There has been a lot of talk about GHB on the net of late. I guess this is 
just adding to it but I will try to make sure all I mention is correct. 
Corrections welcome!

GHB or gamma-hydroxybutyrate is usually prepared in a form called sodium 
oxybate which is just the sodium salt of GHB hence its alternative name 
sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate. Just to make things more complicated CAS 
refers to this salt as butanoic acid, 4-hydroxy, monosodium salt. In the 
earlier abstracts butyric replaces butanoic.

Enough of the naming mess, lets have a look at the stucture.

HO-(CH2)3-COOH

This is GHB. For the sodium salt replace the right most H with a Na. 
Pretty simple huh?

The precursor to sodium oxybate is called butyrolactone or 
gamma-hydroxybutyric acid lactone. It is fairly readily available (at 
least where I come from) and not overly expensive. I would estimate US$20 
for 100ml. It is supposedly an excellent electrolyte for batterys and 
capacitors and is also (was?) used in some paint removers.

Here is what she looks like.

                      O
                     / \
                  H2C   C==O 
                    |   |
                  H2C---C2H

It should be apparent that opening this ring and a dash of NaO will yield 
Na-GHB. Easy? Most certainly. NaOH will open the ring and at the same 
time makes our salt and also some H2.

Two pieces of magic for the price of one.

Anyone interested in the mechanism behind the ring opening should be aware 
that the butyrolactone is saponified - any organic chem text will give 
more information.

Below is what an hour browsing the Chemical Abstracts yielded.

J.Am.Chem.Soc 51,260 (1929) refluxes NaOH and butyrolactone in water for a 
few hours and the resulting yield is poor, though the procedure is simple 
and therefore probably favoured by some. Summary follows.

16.3g butyrolactone and 7.4g NaOH were disolved in 30cc. of water and 
bolied under reflux for three hours. AT the end of this time more water 
was added to disolve the salt and the solution was filtered and 
evapourated to dryness under reduced pressure. The salt was recrystalised 
from alchol. Yield was 11.5g.

CA 107:6774e is better but more difficult method. Summary follows.

15.7g NaOH in 1280ml MeOH was added to 344g gamma-butyrolactone over 1-
1.5h at 40C under an inert CO2 free atmosphere. After stiffing for 3h, 
220g of product was collected.

CA 107:39210w is another patent from by the same people as above. It 
effectively states the same thing but that the rate of addition was 
controlled to maintain a potential of 700mV to prevent the introduction of 
a carbonate. Raises more questions than it answers.

CA 59:11234e would be my procedure of choice though I am somewhat suspect 
of their yields. Summary follows.

To a hot solution of 225ml rectified EtOH, 45ml H2O and 220g NaOH, 489g 
gamma-butyrolactone was slowly added and the mixture kept boling for 30 
min. The ppt. crystalised from EtOH yielded 560g Na-gamma-hydroxybutyrate.

A standard dose of GHB is rather hard to determine. Net information 
mentions 'half a teaspoon'. Medline seems to indicate that an effective 
dose varies greatly from person to person.

Medical use in the treatment of narcolepsy and alcohol withdrawl is almost 
invariably 50mg/Kg per day. It is probably safe to assume this is a safe 
dose but if it is an effective recreational dose or not if for someone 
else to tell.

Reports mention overdosage can result in 'coma and seizurelike activity'. 
The mentioned amounts which caused these problems were from .25 of a 
teaspoon to 4 tablespoons. Full recovery seems to be universal.

This further goes to show that each persons reaction is very individual.

For more information on the qualitative effects of GHB, ftp to ftp.hmc.edu 
and get the file /pub/drugs/mdma/ghb.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has attempted any of the above, 
be it tasting or cooking.

Slowly slip away, be careful and most of all have fun!

Love Alice Livingston.

---
Alice Livingston
anon-3596@twwells.com

From: an84355@anon.penet.fi (Alice Livingston)
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 1994 02:51:32 UTC
Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry
Subject: GHB - A simple synthesis CORRECTION

I my previous posting on GHB the chemistry was magic. So magical that I 
have created atoms from nowhere.

>It should be apparent that opening this ring will yield GHB. Easy? Most 
>certainly. NaOH will open the ring and at the same time makes our salt.

This is basically correct.

>Two pieces of magic for the price of one.

Well actually three...but remember anything can happen in wonderland.

>The chances of anything going terribly wrong are low and the only side 
>product of this reaction is water. High quality reagents are a must. 

This is fantasy. The butyrolactone is saponfied to Na-GHB. High quality 
reagents are still a must so that you don't poison yourself.

>J.Am.Chem.Soc 51,260 (1929) refluxes NaOH and butyrolactone in water for a 
>few hours and the resulting yield is poor - about 50% - though the 
>procedure is simple and therefore probably favoured by some.

Here is a more complete description of the above paper.

16.3g butyrolactone and 7.4g NaOH were disolved in 30cc. of water and 
boiled under reflux for 3 hours. At the end of this time more water was 
added to disolve the salt and the solution was filtered and evaporated 
under reduced pressure. The salt was recystalised from alcohol. The yield 
was 11.5g.

Does anyone know of any ill effects from ingesting butyrolactone?

Hope this helps you all.

Have fun and be careful and wish away,

Love Alice.
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