MM al/hg vs Osmium??

[n00dle]

Hey,
in MM's amalgamation there is no bottom heat applied during the rxn vs osmiums version in which there is bottom heat applied. Could someone suggest if the heat is necessary (one would think that keeping the temp at the appropriate level would help the rxn along and get better yeilds maybe?)

This is in regards to al/hg'ing l-pac extracted from a biosynthesis brew. The l-pac will be extracted with ether and it was suggested that al/hg could be performed right on the crude extract. One can see that if the temperature has to be maintained at 65C or whatever it is for al/hg that osmium maintained, the ether which boils at around 30C is going to be fuming out unless a mother of a condensor is used and rediculous amounts of ice+ice water.

Can al/hg on l-pac or ehpedrine be done without heat in decent yeilds, or would one have to evaporate the ether and then place the crude l-pac extract into a higher BP solvent? (MeOH as they usually use)

[calcium]

Why not distill the ether for re-use instead of evaporating and then just distill your crude l-pac? You took the time to brew it, why react it w/o purification?

The rxn will get too hot for ether whether or not you apply heat.

[n00dle]

Good point. what i was really referring to here was is heat necessary and what is the difference.

Distilling l-pac would require vaccum distilation which might not be accessible for some. I guess one would distill the ether and save that, then place a higher BP solvent back into the crude extract. Because acid/base extracting the l-pac or l-pac producs is easier and probably just as effective as the distillation. Not the same, but close enough.