Swim used to make md-p2p with acetone/performic - the yields weren't as good as modified performic (DCM/performic baking soda) that swim uses now.
Problem is - only time swim ever got above 50% yields on MDA rxn was with old style md-p2p (no silica/ no pressure / crappy stirring). But same time swim switched to modified performic - he scaled up like 3 times.
swim has spent lots of time trying to bring yields up to where other bees say they are (and where swim has seen in real life)
Swim has improved stirring, vacuum, pressure and at the very least swim believes all other things are equal, he cant figure why yields now are around 30%?
Must be the quality of the md-p2p - in swims modified performic he turns 750 isosafrole into approx 600-650 MD-P2p, but how much of it is actually md-p2p and not some (close to same boiling point)crap oil.
Does anyone out there use modified performic method then cyano/ammonium acetate/methanol MDA method (approx 2400 grams md-p2p) and get plus %50 yields?
Swim is going to try to make old way again, but cant find notes - anyone know good thread on acetone performic?
Swim wonders if some of the higer volume md-p2p methods produce more oil, just not all md-p2p (less purity)?
So when swim puts in 600 grams md-p2p (what he thinks is 100%) it may only be 400 grams md-p2p (200 grams who-knows-what?) and is wasting reactants and making swim stressed.
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.