The Chemistry of Cocaine

 

NAME: Cocaine
CHEMICAL NAME: [1R-(exo,exo)]-3-(Benzoyloxy)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester
ALTERNATE CHEMICAL NAMES:  3-beta-hydroxy-1alphaH, 5-alphaH-tropane-2-beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester benzoate
ALTERNATE CHEMICAL NAMES:  2-beta-carbomethyoxy-3-beta-benzoxytropane, ecgonine methyl ester benzoate
ALTERNATE CHEMICAL NAMES:  l-cocaine, beta-cocaine, benzoylmethyl-ecgonine
CHEMICAL FORMULA C17H21NO4
MOLECULAR WEIGHT 303.36gmol-1
MELTING POINT 98°C (monoclinic tablets)
MELTING POINT 195°C (Hydrochloride)
MELTING POINT 58-63°C (Nitrate dihydrate)

 

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One method of synthesis :Cocaine can be manufactured by converting tropinone
into 2-carbomethoxytropinone, reducing this to ecgonine, and then converting the ecgonine to cocaine.