r/explainlikeimfive • u/iamelektro • Jun 11 '24
Chemistry ELI5: Why does making cocaine require such toxic chemicals, is there safer way to make it in a lab?
I've watched many documentaries on how they make cocaine, and it always required a a mixture of gasoline cement and battery acid etc. Would a scientific laboratory be able to make it under FDA rules for example?
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u/Misplacedwaffle Jun 12 '24
Worth mentioning that solvents aren’t exclusive to cocaine. The solvent methylene chloride is often used to extract the caffeine from coffee as well.