What Is the Chemical Rxn That Occurs in the Cocaine Field Test?
Question by pharm tech: What is the chemical rxn that occurs in the cocaine field test?
I’ve been searching for days for the chemical rxn that occurs between cocaine and the cobalt thiocyanate which consequently forms the complex (blue precipitate). Anyone have any insight? Is it a 1:1 complex? I’m thinking any drug chemist would know this…so if any of you are reading this please help me out!! Thanks!!
Best answer:
Answer by aestatisa
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1985-01-01_1_page006.html#s18 describes the basic reaction, though the original source material might be difficult to get your hands on. It’s in French, from the 70s.
“lt assigns the formula (alkaloid H) 2 [Co(SCN) 4] to the relatively water-insoluble blue complexes formed in neutral-to-basic solutions, and the formula [Co(alkaloid) 2] (SCN) 2 to the more water-soluble, brownish-red to pink complexes formed in acid-to-neutral solutions. Solubilities in water and chloroform are given for complexes formed with 29 alkaloids and nine metal thiocyanates.”
Cocaine is the alkaloid.