Ergotamine Tartrate

[Drummer]

I am curious if there is a shelf life for this substance.
I have some considerably old Sandoz 1ml glass vials kicking around.
Thanks!
Understanding I know much less everyday.

[Rhodium]

Yes, there is a shelf life as ET is decomposed by the usual culprits - heat, moisture and/or UV light. The exact time is hard to estimate as it depends wildly on how the samples were stored. A quick TLC analysis should reveal how fresh it is. If it has been stored in sealed vials the majority is likely still intact.

[Nemo_Tenetur]

What is the concentration? One mg per ml? I doubt that the total amount is more than a few mg.

[bbell]

It takes a large amount of Ergotamine to make a quantity of lysergic acid. 10 grams to make 1/2 gram something like that

[Bubbleplate]

you can get about 30-35% yield of LA from Ergotamine.

[Rhodium]

It's very possible to get much better yields than that, here is a report of 75% yield (starting with ergocristine, another ergotamine):

https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/ergocristine.html

Also, the procedure in Tihkal gives high yields.

[bbell]

[Rhodium]

You didn't give a complete reference, nor did you remember to let go of the shift key when typing.

Why do you feel it is important to use the freebase and not use the tartrate directly, as the basic conditions would release the freebase in situ anyway? Do you see any special reason potassium tartrate cannot be present in the solution while hydrolyzing?