Good morning everybody. It's been about a decade since i last posted here. Im experienced with the extraction of DMT using Q21's tek, and some experience with other extraction methods for DXM and LSA. Circumstances have led me to wish to pursue the extraction of Ibogaine.
I have conducted a significant amount of research and was surprised at how little simplified/accessible documentation is available. (or, at least, accessing this information isnt quite as simple as i recall from the good old days of clandestine chemistry on the internet.)
My own (admittedly uneducated) research and feedback regarding most recent papers regarding this subject has led me to write up this simplified method of extracting Ibogaine from Voacangine, ive read through Chris Jenks' material, as well as this 2021 paper.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.1c00745
I am looking for feedback on this
UNTESTED procedure, if there are any issues that stand out, if this would theoretically work, and if there are any considerations that have been neglected.
Also, if there are aspects that can be further simplified, id be interested in that as well.
This guide adapts the
Jenks Tekapproach for accessibility while incorporating González (2021) innovations such as the direct acetone shortcut and optimized dimer cleavage. Two alternative extraction routes are presented, both of which converge on the same voacangine‑enriched intermediate. From there, the conversion and crystallization steps are common to both. This also integrates Jenks’ refinements on selective partitioning, purification, and yield calculations, while noting that González (2021) does not include the Jenks‑style acetone/HCl or petroleum ether/diatomaceous earth purification steps. Those optional steps were designed for dirtier acid–base extracts; the acetone route generally produces cleaner resin that can move directly to cleavage and conversion.
- Plant: 100 g dried, powdered Voacanga africana root bark (finely milled, sieved to remove fibers)
- Acids: White vinegar (5% acetic acid), muriatic acid (10% HCl from hardware/pool supply), citric acid powder or lemon juice (weak fallback)
- Bases: Ammonia solution (~10%), potassium hydroxide pellets (preferred for hydrolysis step), baking soda or washing soda as emergency substitutes
- Solvents: Acetone (100%, nail polish remover if pure, or hardware thinner), ethanol (95% rectified spirits, e.g. Everclear), optional methanol for final recrystallization, toluene/petroleum ether/naptha as optional wash solvents
- Tools: French press or large jar, mason jars, funnels, coffee filters or cloth, stirring rods/spoons, thermometer (digital probe or candy), pH strips (aquarium/pool supply), fan or gentle heater for drying, glass plates or ceramic dishes for spreading solids
- Optional glassware: Flask, simple condenser, separatory funnel, Büchner funnel with filter aid (diatomaceous earth)
- Safety gear: Gloves, goggles, good ventilation or outdoor setup, labeled containers, ready supply of baking soda and water for neutralizing spills
- Mix: Combine 100 g powdered bark, 10 g baking soda, and 800 mL acetone in a large glass jar or French press. The baking soda neutralizes natural plant acids, freeing alkaloids into the acetone.
- Agitate: Stir or shake for 30–60 minutes. Over time the acetone will darken from clear to a rich brown, with a sharp, bitter odor indicating alkaloid migration.
- Filter & repeat: Filter through paper or cloth. Repeat extraction 3–5 times with fresh acetone until filtrate is pale, showing most alkaloids are removed. Combine all extracts.
- Evaporate: Place combined acetone extracts in shallow dish or jar. Let solvent evaporate in a ventilated area (no flames). A thick, sticky dark resin remains (8–10 g typical).
- Cleanup: Suspend resin in a smaller volume of acetone. Add a few drops dilute HCl. This protonates alkaloids, leaving fats in solution. Filter off unwanted fats. End with a voacangine/dimer enriched resin.
Expectation: ~8–10 g resin total; ~0.8–1.0 g voacangine recoverable after cleavage. Resin should be sticky and pungent.
From 100 g bark expect ~8–10 g resin. At cleavage stage ~1.4–1.6 g voacangine equivalent. Final ibogaine HCl ~1.0–1.3 g under field conditions.
- Acid soak: Mix 100 g bark with 500 mL vinegar (5% acetic acid) in a French press or large jar. Soak 1–2 hours, stirring occasionally. The acidic solution protonates and solubilizes alkaloids.
- Press & repeat: Press/filter liquid into a clean beaker or jar. Repeat 4–5 times with fresh vinegar until bark tastes no longer bitter. Combine acidic extracts.
- Basify: Slowly add ammonia solution while stirring. Monitor pH with strips. At pH >10, brown solids precipitate. Avoid overshooting above pH 12 to reduce impurities.
- Settle: Allow mixture to stand overnight so solids can sink.
- Filter & collect: Decant off clear liquid, then filter the precipitate through coffee filter. Collect brown solids.
- Dry crude TA: Spread precipitate on plate, dry under fan or gentle heat. You now have crude total alkaloids.
- Optional wash: Rinse dried crude with 15–20 mL acetone per gram, stirring gently, to remove fats. Impurities stay dissolved, alkaloids remain behind.
Expectation: ~2–3 g crude alkaloids containing voacangine + dimers. Dry powder should smell earthy/bitter and darken on heating.
From 100 g bark expect ~2–3 g crude TA. After cleavage this equates to ~1.4–1.6 g voacangine. Final ibogaine HCl ~1.0–1.3 g.
Optional Phase II (Jenks): Crude TA may be partitioned with weak acid/toluene system to enrich voacangine prior to cleavage.
This optional purification is most beneficial for Route B, since crude TA is dirtier. Route A products should not need this step according to the Gonzalez paper.
- Dissolve resin/TA: Take ~1 g resin or crude TA from Route A or B. Suspend in 50 mL 10% HCl (~3 M).
- Heat: Place jar or flask in boiling water bath (100–110 °C) for 1–2 hours. Mixture darkens, then lightens slightly as dimers cleave. Stir occasionally if possible.
- Cool & neutralize: Let cool. Slowly add baking soda until fizzing (CO₂ release) stops. Check with pH strip; target ~7.
- Extract: Add ethanol, shake well, separate layers. Retain ethanol solution. Evaporate gently to recover voacangine‑rich resin.
Expectation: Yields ~1.4–1.6 g voacangine from 100 g bark under field conditions; up to ~2.0 g possible with optimized cleavage. Texture should be less sticky, odor more pungent/chemical than raw bark.
If available, TLC can confirm disappearance of dimer bands. By eye: solution becomes less viscous and slightly lighter brown.
Optional scavengers: Triisopropylsilane (TIS) additives or microwave heating (per González 2021) can raise yield to ~50% molar.
Optional Jenks purification: Before conversion, voacangine can be precipitated with acetone/HCl and leached with petroleum ether/naptha & diatomaceous earth to remove impurities.
This step is mainly important for Route B extracts where more impurities remain; for Route A extracts it can be skipped unless maximum whiteness is desired.
- Dissolve voacangine: Place ~0.5 g purified voacangine in 50 mL ethanol:water (3:2). Stir until clear.
- Add base: Add ~2 g KOH pellets per 0.5 g voacangine. Stir until fully dissolved. Mixture will be strongly basic (pH >10).
- Reflux: Heat under gentle reflux (covered jar in hot water bath) for 12 h. Color shifts from yellow → deep brown. Completion indicated by stabilization of color and pH.
- Cool & reduce: Let cool. Evaporate ~half solvent volume carefully.
- Acid quench/decarboxylation: Add 15–20 mL 5% HCl slowly. Bubbling CO₂ signals decarboxylation. Heat gently for 15 minutes. Color may lighten again.
- Neutralize: Cool, then add baking soda slowly to neutral pH ~7.
- Extract ibogaine base: Add ethanol, shake, and separate. Evaporate ethanol to obtain ibogaine free base as sticky resin or semi‑solid.
Expectation: From 0.5 g voacangine, yield ~0.3 g ibogaine base. Texture is sticky but more cohesive than crude resin. Odor sharp and chemical.
Strong bubbling during acid quench, dark → lighter color shift, and a more solid texture upon drying.
- Dissolve base: Place ibogaine base in minimal warm acetone.
- Salt formation: Add 10% HCl dropwise with stirring until pH ~3. Crystals should begin to appear.
- Cool slowly: Allow solution to cool at room temperature, then move to fridge. Slow cooling yields larger, purer crystals.
- Filter & wash: Collect crystals on filter paper. Rinse quickly with cold acetone to remove trace impurities. Dry thoroughly.
Expectation: From 100 g bark, expect ~1.0–1.3 g crystalline ibogaine HCl under field conditions. Crystals should appear as white to off‑white needles/plates, with a faint chemical odor.
At this stage solution should smell strongly chemical/solvent, and crystals should look white to off‑white. Sticky or discolored product means recrystallization is needed.
Hazard note: Avoid long contact between acetone and strong HCl as polymerization can occur.
- Redissolve: Place crude ibogaine HCl crystals in hot ethanol or methanol. Stir until fully dissolved.
- Cool & crystallize: Allow solution to cool slowly, then refrigerate overnight. Crystals reform.
- Filter & dry: Collect crystals, dry fully. Repeat 2–3 times.
- Purity check: First crop is usually purest; later crops contain more impurities and can be redissolved for further processing.
Expectation: Each recrystallization improves whiteness and sharpness of crystals. After 2–3 cycles, product should be bright white, odor neutral, and dry to the touch.
Hot solution should be clear and smell strongly of ethanol/methanol. Upon cooling, fine white crystals form. Off‑white or yellow tinge suggests more cycles needed.
- Route A (Acetone): Faster, avoids liters of aqueous acid, gives consistent yields. Needs more acetone solvent and flammable‑handling care.
- Route B (Acid–Base): Uses cheap and safe materials like vinegar and ammonia. More laborious soaking/pressing, larger liquid volumes, but does not require as much flammable solvent.
- Convergence: Both methods produce voacangine‑enriched resin, which then undergoes the same dimer cleavage, conversion, and crystallization sequence.
- Checkpoint yields: Resin weight after extraction, voacangine after cleavage, ibogaine base after decarboxylation, and ibogaine HCl after crystallization should be recorded and compared to theoretical (~2 g max per 100 g bark).
- Always add acid to water, never the reverse. Exothermic splashing can cause burns.
- Never seal containers while heating; gases (CO₂, solvent vapors) must escape.
- Always work outdoors or in strong ventilation. Acetone and ethanol vapors are flammable.
- Keep baking soda nearby to neutralize spills of acid or base.
- Label every jar and keep notes of pH, weights, observations. Keep batch sheets with timings, photos, and yield calculations.
- Yield expectations: Lab‑grade methods can yield close to 2 g ibogaine HCl from 100 g bark. Kitchen methods are more likely in the 1.0–1.3 g range.
- Waste disposal: Neutralize acidic waste with baking soda until fizzing stops, then dilute with plenty of water before disposal. Neutralize bases with weak vinegar before discarding. Solvents like acetone/ethanol should be evaporated outdoors or collected for safe disposal—never pour into open drains. Recycling: spent bark can be re‑soaked in fresh solvent, and filtrates can be recycled into later pulls to maximize recovery.
End Goal: Achieve a stable, crystalline ibogaine hydrochloride product starting from accessible Voacanga bark using either simplified acetone or acid–base extraction routes, followed by common conversion and purification steps.
Both paths should lead to ibogaine hydrochloride if carefully executed. Route A implements the González shortcut and produces more consistent yields with fewer steps. Route B mirrors the classic Jenks “kitchen chemistry” approach with multiple clear stopping points. In either case, careful recrystallization is essential to go beyond crude resin and achieve true ibogaine HCl crystals.
But neutralisation will still never be reduction. Colloquial usage of the latter term here, specifically, tends to indicate that a solution has been evaporated down to a smaller volume.
