JnPS - 30-7-2016 at 19:42
I heard in a Doug's lab video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNsqYwzm40M that niacin is the hydrolysis product of nicotine, hence why its sometime's called nicotinic acid. So
this got me thinking-
Is there a way to convert nicotine to niacin? I couldn't find anything through google on this subject or anywhere else. Does anybody have any sort of
abbreviated procedure? I live near a vape shop and they agreed they could sell me pure nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol but were anxious about
giving me pure nicotine itself. I want the niacin to make pyridine like the video and am well aware that powdered niacin is easily available but I'm
curious as to whether I could start with nicotine->niacin->pyridine
[Edited on 31-7-2016 by JnPS]
[Edited on 31-7-2016 by JnPS]
karlos³ - 30-7-2016 at 20:04
Yes, you can prepare niacin from nicotine, if you oxidise it using HNO3.
Sorry I can´t find the reference for that, but it´s definitely possible.
JnPS - 30-7-2016 at 20:14
Do you know if it would work with a solution of nicotine in propylene glycol? or should I separate the two and add the HNO3 slowly to the nicotine,
probably in a 1:1 molar ratio or maybe keep the acid in slight excess?
Cryolite. - 30-7-2016 at 21:53
How much nicotine is in the solution (I'm assuming e-liquid)? Keep in mind that pure nicotine is rather toxic and absorbs through the skin, and that
although oxidation with nitric acid would work, it would also oxidize the propylene glycol to a complex mixture of products which would likely be
difficult to separate.
Remember, niacin is pretty cheap online, and so if all you're looking for is an easy source of pyridine, buying niacin and decarboxylating that is
likely the way to go.
JnPS - 31-7-2016 at 05:27
The highest concentration they could give me is 24 mg/mL in a 30mL bottle, I'm not really set on getting pyridine, I have some uses for it but mostly
I just want to explore the first part of this, the nicotine->niacin, because I wasn't able to find any literature on the subject; otherwise you're
right I would just buy niacin powder.
halogen - 31-7-2016 at 15:06
JnPS - 31-7-2016 at 16:53
Update: They agreed to let me have 10mL's of pure nicotine solution (something like 98%) after giving me "the talk" on safety and making sure I had
the right kind of gloves, etc...
So does anyone have any knowledge on doing this? I'm assuming what I mentioned before would work with dripping a slight excess of acid into nicotine,
like maybe 1.1mol HNO3:1mol Nicotine, and then neutralize the acid with something like 5% NaHCO3 and filter to recover the niacin. Would
there be any byproducts to separate from what makes up the other 2% of the solution if it(propylene glycol) gets oxidized as well?
bobm4360 - 31-7-2016 at 22:08
Here's a procedure form OrgSyn...http://www.orgsyn.org/demo.aspx?prep=CV1P0385
JnPS - 1-8-2016 at 03:47
Thank you!
battoussai114 - 1-8-2016 at 07:00
There seems to be a paper, referenced in the Plant Alkaloids book from the library, on the American Chem. Society, 1941, 63, 115. By Rayburn, H. and
H. That studies the effect of UV oxidation of nicotine to a mix of niacin, nicotine oxide and methylamine. Seems interesting.
Eddygp - 7-8-2016 at 00:45
Nicotine from niacin would also be interesting.