1st step

Dissolve 96 g sodium hydroxide in 800 mL water. When dissolved add 38 g sodium

borohydride and dissolve.

Let the solution cool to 20°C and add 100 mL toluene and start adding 300 g PNP, two
tablespoonfuls at a time. Make sure the temperature of the solution does not go above 40°C.
This may happen if too much PNP is added too quickly. It is adviseable to let the solution
cool to 20°C before next lot of PNP is added.

Continue adding PNP until all of it has reacted with the solution. Continue stirring the solution
for another 30 mins.

Pour the solution into a separation funnel and let it stand for 1 hour in order to separate the
toluene from the aqueous phase. Remove the aqueous phase into an addition funnel.

Pour 1.2 L of hydrochloric acid into a 3 L flask. Mount the addition funnel on the flask and
begin to drip in the solution at 3 drops per second. Keep temp below 20°C during this
process. The solution will turn blue.

When all of the solution has been added, stir for 1 hour. Then add 500 mL DCM
(dichloromethane or methylene chloride), stir during 2 mins and separate the two phases.
Pour the aqueous phase back into the reaction flask, add another 500 mL DCM and stir
during 2 mins. Separate the phases as before. The two DCM phases are mixed. The
aqueous phase can be discarded.

Dissolve 100 g sodium carbonate in 300 mL water. Add to the DCM phase and stir as long
as it keeps fizzing. When it stops fizzing pour the mixture into a separation funnel. Save the
DCM phase and pour into a distillation flask.

Distill off the DCM. Keep the temp of the waterbath at 65°C. When all the DCM has been
distilled stop the process. Save the DCM for use later on. Attach the vaccum pump and
reduce pressure to 500 mbar, 300 mbar, 130 mbar. Temp should remain at 65°C.

Stop distillation and let the solution cool. When the yellowish oil has cooled to room
temperature debris may crystallize in the flask. Add 500 mL toluene and filter off the crystals.
Then distill off the toluene at 100 mbar and 65°C. When no more toluene seems to be
distilling reduce pressure to 60 mbar to remove any remainder. Stop distillation and let cool.
Remaining in the distillation flask should now be approx 200 g of phenylacetone
2nd step

200 g Phenyl-2-Propanone (P2P) is put into a 2L round-bottom flask. While maintaining the
temperature below 30°C by using a cooling bath, a total of 300 mL methylamine is added –
50 mL at a time. After each 50 mL unit is added, wait until the temperature has dropped
before adding the next. Then add 1L of methanol and the solution is stirred for one hour at a
temperature below 20°C.

30 g sodium borohydride is added while stirring, one tea spoon at a time. Temperature
should remain between 15-25°C. Make sure that the temperature is at the right level before
adding the next tea spoon of sodium borohydrade. When all the sodium borohydrade is
added, let the solution stand for one hour while being stirred and temperature maintained at
15-25°C.

Pour 2L of water into a 5L flask, and then add the solution. Add 0,5L of DCM and stir well for
two minutes. Separate the DCM-phase and pour into a separate flask. The aqueous solution
is poured back into the 5L flask and 250 mL of DCM is added and the solution is stirred for
two minutes. Separate, and save the DCM-phase. The aqueous phase can be discarded.
The two DCM-phases are mixed in a 2L flask and cooled to below 20°C.

While stirring the DCM-solution, concentrated hydrochloric acid is added in units of 10mL.
Continue adding HCl until pH indicator paper shows a pH of 2. Add HCl slowly or the DCM
will begin to boil.

When the pH is 2, the solution is poured into a separation funnel and the aqueous solution is
saved. The DCM-solution is mixed with 200 mL of water and a small amount of HCl. Stir for
two minutes and separate again. Perform this step once again, and then discard the DCM-
solution.

The aqueous solutions obtained in the previous step are collected in a 2L flask and sodium
carbonate is added in small portions as long as it keeps fizzing. Do this carefully so it doesn’t
bubble over. When it stops fizzing, add sodium hydroxide in units of 10 g. After adding a unit
the solution should be stirred so that all the hydroxide is dissolved. Continue until no more oil
is formed. Add 500 mL toluene and stir for 2 mins. Pour the mixture into a separation funnel.
Save the toluene solution. Pour back the aqueous solution and add 250mL toluene and stir
for two mins. Separate once again and save the toluene solution. Perform this last step one
more time. Discard the aqueous solution. Collect all the toluene solutions in a flask. If the
solution is cloudy it can be filtered through a normal filter.

Pour the toluene solution into a 2L flask and cool to 10-15°C. Add hydrochloric acid in units
of 10mL. Continue adding HCl until pH indicator paper shows a pH of 4. Pour the solution
into a distillation flask. Distill off the toluene and water. Keep the temp at 65°C and at first
200 mbar, then 130 mbar, then 100 mbar, then 80 mbar.

When all has been distilled off, what remains is methamphetamine hydrochloride containing
some impurities.

DCM is dichloromethane (methylene chloride) CAS 75-09-2

From 100 g PNP, 40-50 g of recrystallized Meth is made. The recrystallized (Meth) is snowy-
white and has a purity of at least 95%.
3rd step

Place 100 g of Meth HCl in a flat-bottomed flask. Add 100 mL DCM and heat in a waterbath
until it boils. Add the DCM in small portions until all the Meth has dissolved. Add three units
acetone, place a stopper (or cork) on the flask and place in the freezer for one hour.

Filter off all the Meth HCl that has crystallized, and perform the previous step again: dissolve
in boiling DCM, add 3 units acetone and crystallize in freezer for one hour. Filter off the Meth
HCl which is snowy-white and let it air-dry.

Example: If 200 mL of DCM was required to dissolve the Meth, add 3 x 200 = 600 mL
acetone