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INFORMATION
Compound Name: Heroin
Formula: C21H23NO5
Picture of Heroin and Drug Paraphernalia:
(picture
from http://area51.upsu.plym.ac.uk/infoserv/drugs/graphical/grphopia.html)
Molar Mass: 369.42 grams
Historical Background/story of discovery: In 1803 morphine was
isolated as a separate substance from opium, and in 1952 it was confirmed
as a separate compound by Marshall Gates at the University of
Rochester. The Bayer Company of Germany developed heroin for the
first time in 1898 when morphine was mixed with two moles of acetic
anhydride. Originally heroin was being used a narcotic analgesic,
but its serious side effects out-weighted its value as a pain killer.
Melting point: 173 degrees Celsius
Boiling Point: 272-274 degrees Celsius
Where is it found: Heroin is produced from poppy plants, and these
plants are annual herb plants that are native to Southeastern Europe and
Western Asia. This type of plant is also cultivated in Iran, Turkey,
Holland, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, India, Canada, as
well as many Asian and Central and South American countries.
What is its natural abundance: Since heroin is not found in nature,
but rather is produced from poppy plants, it does not have a natural
abundance.
How is it obtained: Heroin can be made by first obtaining morphine,
which is an alkaloid found in opium (Opium is the dried milky exudate
found in the unripe seedpods of poppy plants). The morphine should then be
treated with acetic anhydride. The substance that is
produced from this mixture, heroin, is four to eight times as potent as morphine.
Explanation of structure: A molecule of heroin is made up of 21
atoms of carbon, 23 atoms of hydrogen, 1 atom of nitrogen, and 5 atoms of
oxygen. There are six double bonds within each molecule, and the
rest of the bonds are single bonds. Percent composition by mass = 68.28%
Carbon; 6.28 % Hydrogen; 3.79 % Nitrogen; 21.65 % Oxygen. Percent
composition by number = 42 % Carbon; 46 % Hydrogen; 2 % Nitrogen; 10 %
Oxygen. Covalent Bonding.
Chemical Properties: Heroin is a white and sometimes brownish, odorless compound and is a highly addictive narcotic when abused. When heroin is used, it creates a "high" by mimicking chemicals in the brain that block pain and induce a feeling of pleasure. One gram of heroin dissolves in 1.5 mL of chloroform, 31 mL of alcohol, 100 mL of ether, and 1700 mL of water.
Reaction Tendencies: None found
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