Studies on the identification of narcotics. I. Micro-chemical reactions for identification of metopon

Abstract

Qualitative microchemical reactions for the identification of Metopon (methyldi-hydromorphinone) have been studied, based on the functional groups of the molecule. It'has been found that Metopon will give a positive Janovsky reaction. The ketone group can be reduced to an alcoholic hydroxyl with zinc and hydrochloric acid; the resulting methyldihydromorphine will give a positive Sanchez reaction. A specific reaction was found using sodium nitroferricyanide and sodium hydroxide; Metopon gives a red color whereas Dilaudid, Dicodid, Eucodal, and Methadone do not. A modification of the Marquis reagent gives specific color developments which can be used to distinguish the ketones. Several coupling and dye formation reactions gave distinctive colors. The triphenylmethane-type dyes were obtained when the phenol and phenylether narcotics were condensed in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid with benzaldehyde derivatives.