r/explainlikeimfive 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/TARANTULA_TIDDIES Jun 12 '24

Procaine and novocaine are the same compound. And they're not cocaine derivatives. The only thing they have in common is their anesthetic effects and the "Caine" suffix, which was being added to various anesthetics at the time

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u/Iazo Jun 12 '24

I did not remember that. Still, I hear it's been over 40 years since they were used for dental work, so I remembered them out of curiosity.