oxycodone extraction

[taig]

Just wanted to ask if an extraction of oxycodone from Oxycontin could be done the same way SWIM would extract morphine from pills. Could one simply dissolve the pills in water, filter the unsoluble remains, raise the pH and oxycodone base crystals would precipitate off?

Thanks.
_{Slow your speech and lower the pitch of your voice.}

[Rhodium]

http://www.poppies.org

[taig]

I found this:

After dropwise addition of 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution within 40 minutes at 0-20 DEG C, the crude oxycodone base was filtered, washed with water and dried to give 18g (98% yield) of oxycodone of 99% purity (HPLC).

Just one quick question, M has the least solubility at a pH of 9.1, is there something similar with oxy?

_{Slow your speech and lower the pitch of your voice.}

[Chromic]

Oxycodone pretty much the same way. The hydrochloride/sulfate is very water soluble, the freebase is nearly insoluble. Codeine is a touch different, as it's freebase is somewhat solubile in water.

There is one thing I don't get, if one raises the pH of a solution of morphine hydrochloride, do the phenoxy groups dissociate and will it become a water soluble phenoxide?

[Rhodium]

Yes, and to complicate it even more, the two phenols aren't deprotonated at the same pH either. I believe there is some discussion on this phenomenon in the morphine-related documents at my page.