Mephedrone (4-MMC) salts

[G.Patton]

Theory.​

Mephedrone can come in the form of capsules, tablets, crystals or white powder, that users may swallow, snort, inject, smoke or use rectally. The free base of mephedrone, obtained by a synthesis, is converted into a salt forms. Usually, they are performed as hydrochloric or hydrobromic salts of mephedrone. Both compounds are colorless to off-white powders or crystals after recrystallization from acetone. The melting points for hydrochloride and hydrobromide were determined by melting point experiment and gave sharp melting points at 251.18 °C and 205.25 °C, respectively.​

Spoiler: Crystals of mephedrone

All two salts are only now have pronounced color (pure white flour or translucent whitish crystals). If your product is colored, it means it contains impurities. If someone tells you that this color given by special syntheses method, or it is of "special" salt, then send him purifying and recrystallizing this product. Both salts are translucent whitish crystals. Mephedrone hydrochloride and hydrobromide are well stored. So far as power is concerned, that one salt "better", "stronger" than another one. The mephesrone salt molecule consists of two parts, protonated 4-MMC molecule (cation) and the acid residue (anion). So, the more active substance (4-MMC) per unit weight of salt, the stronger effect on the body.

I will calculate how much mephedrone is contained in 1 g of each of the listed salts.

Molar masses:
Hydrochloride - 213.71 g/mol
Hydrobromide - 258.16 g/mol
Therefore, in 1 g (rounded off) amount of mephedrone hydrochloride - 0.00468 mol, hydrobromide - 0.00387 mol.
The molar mass of the free base of mephedrone is 177.25 g/mol.

Therefore, 1 g of mephedrone hydrochloride contains 0.83 g, hydrobromide contains 0.69 g of active mephedrone. Thus, mephedrone hydrochloride and hydrobromide have the difference in the amount of active substance ~1.2 times (16.87%) less of it. The difference between effects maybe because of residual or deliberately added impurities, but not the form of the salt. In these pictures shown, crystalline structure of different mephedrone salts (left pic. - hydrochloride, right pic. - hydrobrimide).​

Experiments.​

You can provide some easy experiment for identification of type of your mephedrone salt. Dissolve 100 mg (100 mg is enough, but more is better) of the mephedrone sample in 7-10 ml room temperature water. Provide necessitate reaction mentioned below.

Quality reaction for chloride ions:
a) Add chloride ion solution to lead(II) acetate or lead(II) nitrate
Lead(II) chloride, white precipitate is formed when aqueous chloride solution is added to lead(II) acetate (Pb(CH3COO)2) solution or lead(II) nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) solution.

Pb(CH3COO)2(aq) + 2Cl-(aq) → PbCl2(s) + 2CH3COO- (aq)
Pb(NO3)2(aq) + 2Cl-(aq) → PbCl2(s) + 2NO3- (aq)

Lead(II) chloride (PbCl2), white precipitate is formed.​

b) Add first dilute HNO3 and then AgNO3(aq). It will give AgCl white precipitate which solve in dilute NH3.​

Quality reaction for chloride ions:​

a) Add first dilute HNO3 and then AgNO3(aq). It will give AgBr light yellow precipitate which solve in conc. NH3.

b) Add CHCl3 or CCl4 and joggle the mixture. It will give brown/orange globule.​