Ok. Now, lets just say I came across a KILO of Methyl Oleate...

I recall Vesp and I had a talk once, he theorized it could be turned into Oleamide, by heating in a pressure cooker with NH4OH(conc) or something.

So. I have NH4OH readily available... A KILO of Methyl Oleate in storage... And an idea.

You guys, all give me a hand with this.

Methyl Oleate - C19H36O2  Molar Weight: 296.49g/M
Density    0.87          
Refractive index    1.451     - 1.458       
Boiling Point (°C)  186  (p=9 torr)
Melting Point (°C) -20       
Flash Point (°C)  180

That datasheet table thingy is from Acros Organics.

Now what I am thinking is, y'all give me a hand on how much of what to add to the kilo of Methyl Oleate... Etc. I would work it out myself but I honestly don't have a damn clue where to start - I don't have a reaction ratio, etc.

If you all help me figure out HOW to do it (amounts, molar ratio's, whatever), I will do it in the Summer after my Leaving Certificate Examinations

Naturally, I will post a nice Bio-Assay, Photographic Synthises, and what-not.

Another person I spoke with, is CONVINCED it will either have recreational use... Or just put you out like a light. Either one is perfect for me. I see its LD50 is high - 2000mg/KG - IV Rat

Now, if someone can get me a reaction scheme - like 'X-Moles Methyl Oleate + Y-Moles Ammonia = Z-Moles Oleamide + P-Moles Nasty Byproduct'.

From that, I can figure the rest out

I reckon a serious excess of NH4OH is good - as the NH4OH and water will boil off fairly handy, and we will use the Methyl Oleate as the limiting reagent

Then, we just find out how to remove 'Nasty Byproduct' and boom. A assload of pure oleamide!

After that, testing it is in order... First up will be 0.5mg, under the tongue. Then it in alcohol. mixed with Paracetamol, etc.

Enkidu: Way I see it, if I am going to spend my time on it... May as well do it right. So I am going to go about this the old fashioned way... Work out a reaction scheme, ratio with excess of NH4OH, then a small scale 'run', then scale up as I see fit. With energetics I like to keep it small. With everything else, BIG.

I have a 'second interest' in this material - I want to try oxidize the NH2 to NO2 using KMnO4 perhaps

Yeah I agree with enkidu -- just talk about the chemistry of it here no need to discuss any industrial type ideas.

As for oxidizing the AMIDE's NH2 to NO2 -- pretty sure that isn't going to happen since - what could it even form?

The NH2 to NO2 was an idea I picked up from... Somewhere. It was explosive related, oxidizing NH2 groups to NO2 groups to form energetics. Though the KMnO4 oxidation would cleave the double bond... Perhaps I can find another oxidizing agent to do the job. I merely want to see IF anything IS formed. For fun and curiosity - no point in not trying, eh? Some said Nobel would never tame nitroglycerin but he did, so I am staying optimistic.

Well, a PhD chemist I know reckons best yield (close to 100%) is formed by merely bubbling ammonia gas through the Methyl Oleate to form Oleamide and Methanol. Though he says this would take several days on a lab scale, so fuck the big scale ideas. I was merely throwing the uses out there.

On a lab scale, I am thinking of simply using a beehive shelf to hold a tube under the methyl oleate, and have the simple reaction of Ammonium Nitrate/Sulphate and NaOH with water to start it as the ammonia generator. This, in my opinion, could be the easiest way, perhaps plonking it on a stirrer would help with getting it all reacted.

I would leave it, in a fume hood (or windy shed with smashed out windows) or a few days (fire and forget synthises! BEAUTIFUL) only interrupting to 'Recharge' the Ammonia generator. Though much of the ammonia gas would be lost, so perhaps a simple mechanism can be made to re-circulate the waste ammonia that is not reacted...

Either way, I have exams to do, and more chemistry books to read first, so this one is staying theory till the summer, when I have the actual TIME to do it!