Step 3 Sodium ethoxide is again needed in the reaction vessel. For this final step 58g of the di-substituted malonate from step 2 is allowed to react with 15g of dry urea that has been dissolved in hot dry alcohol. The mixture is stirred and heated under reflux. After 4 hours, the excess alcohol is boiled off and the residue dissolved in water and acidified (with dilute hydrochloric acid) to precipitate the insoluble barbiturate crystals which can be washed and dried.
Testing the Product
As with any home-made product, careful testing is necessary. Full reassurance can only come from detailed, quantitative analysis using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS).
Exit took possession of this necessary equipment in 2008. Apart from the ability to test the products of home synthesis, the equipment is useful in verifying the veracity of old stocks of prescribed barbiturate sleeping tablets, or samples of veterinary Nembutal that have been purchased from dubious sources or have long past their quoted shelf life.
Finally, the Exit Barbiturate Test Kit can be used to demonstrate the presence of synthesized barbiturate. In addition, the purity of dried barbiturate crystals can be tested using a glass capillary in an oil bath. For Nembutal, the melting point should be 1290
C.
Detailed instructions on the use of the Nembutal melting point test are provided in Chapter 18.
