https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/alhg.osmium.html (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/alhg.osmium.html)
The EtOH I used already contained maybe 5% water. The MeNH2 used was usually 40% aq. soln, so there's more from this source. This is all the water the reaction needs. Don't add extra water like Shulgin. It is not necessary, even when you use higher percentage alcohols, like 99% IPA. H2O is needed in this reaction. Although Al can also dissolve in alcohols, the formation of Al2O3/Al(OH)3 seems to be much more exothermic, which probably (?) helps the reaction (don't ask). An experiment using abs. EtOH and NH3 gas in huge excess yielded absolutely nothing. Too much H2O of course is bad, because imine formation is reversible.
SWIM had read this too, and decided to try it both ways, once SWIM added 50mls of dH2O and the other time didn't add any. SWIM used ACS MeOH and 99.8% MeNO2, yeilds were the same for both reactions, 37.5g MD-P2P w dH2O after re-X 30.7g, and with out dH20 28.9g. SWIM doesn't know where any H2O would have come from in the second run and figured that the keton would have dissolved in the MeOH. Has anyone had a bas experience NOT adding dH2O to this reaction?