Maui3 - 27-10-2024 at 07:04
I apologize if this isn't the right place for this question - I'm a new member here.
For a chemistry project, I'm looking for a small quantity of acetic anhydride (25-50 mL).
I understand this is a regulated substance, so I’d completely understand if no one wants to sell it to me.
bnull - 27-10-2024 at 07:57
Could you please tell us more about this project?
Maui3 - 27-10-2024 at 08:46
Yes, of course!
I'm planning to create a legal (and notably weaker) analogue of methaqualone because I find its history and synthesis fascinating. I'm also working on
synthesizing melatonin from 5-methoxytryptamine with acetic anhydride, since I take melatonin myself.
Although methaqualone has been used recreationally, that's not really what interests me about it.
I've posted some other projects, like making a silver mirror and a few others. I know these are things anyone could share, but I guess it’s a little
evidence that I’m not exactly using this knowledge to make heroin.
bnull - 27-10-2024 at 12:36
I remember reading about manganese (iii) acetate as a substitute for acetic anhydride in acetylations. If you're unable to obtain the Ac2O
proper, that's one thing you may try.
Edit: Correction. Just found the paper (S. Gowda, K. M. L. Rai, Manganese(III) acetate as catalyst for the direct acetylation of alcohols with acetic acid) in my mess of a folder.
Manganese (iii) acetate works as a catalyst for acetylations using acetic acid, not as a substitute. And the
substrate must be an alcohol.
[Edited on 27-10-2024 by bnull]
Texium - 28-10-2024 at 06:34
Depending on where you are located, I have a lot of acetic anhydride available. I wouldn’t be comfortable shipping it outside of the US though.
Maui3 - 28-10-2024 at 06:36
Thanks Bnull!
Maui3 - 28-10-2024 at 06:40
Unfortuently I am in the EU (Denmark).. ..Do you know anyone else in the EU that maybe would be able to sell some to me?
I have found a place that would sell it to me (on etsy), but it seems a bit sketchy.. I mean it's only 10-20 eur, but I would prefer if I could buy it
from someone here.
I trust people here a bit more.
Texium - 28-10-2024 at 06:49
Try mario840 or chemship1978 on here. They are based in the EU and have just about everything at decent prices. They each have a stickied thread in
the Reagents and Apparatus section. You can send either of them a U2U to place an order.
Maui3 - 28-10-2024 at 07:49
Thank you very much, I really appreciate your help!
Fery - 28-10-2024 at 10:31
couldn't you use acetyl chloride for acylations instead of acetic anhydride?
es-drei very likely sells acetyl chloride (I didn't buy it from them, I just do not see any restriction on their page)
they ship into EU
https://shop.es-drei.de/chloride/1299/acetylchlorid-min.-98?...
btw they sell also melatonin, I have already bought it from them for few times
[Edited on 28-10-2024 by Fery]
Maui3 - 28-10-2024 at 11:05
Thank you! Yes I have seen they sell acetyl chloride.. I could probably use that yes, but the reagents I bought were quite expensive, so I am not
looking to accidently make an oopsie, I could have avoided, so I'd prefer to stick to the acetic anhydride..
I geuss I could make the acetic anhydride from the acetyl chloride and sodium acetate, but again that's just one more step I could make an oopsie..
Thank you for checking for me 
clearly_not_atara - 28-10-2024 at 17:50
You're just acetylating an aniline. I'm not sure you need Ac2O or AcCl for this. Phenyl acetate + triethylamine seems like it would work -- it works
for glycine, which is similar enough to your substrate:
https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01488a044
Phenyl acetate is not watched IIRC because it is not a good precursor to heroin.
Pumukli - 29-10-2024 at 08:00
Depending on your "aniline" you may even get away by using pure acetic acid...
A few years ago I tried this with simple aniline and 90%-ish acetic acid and it worked fairly well.
Here's the relevant thread:
https://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=15...