BRUCINE

Use

Crystallise brucine once from water or aqueous Me2CO (as the tetrahydrate), then suspend it in CHCl3 and shake with anhydrous Na2SO4 (to dehydrate the brucine, which then dissolves). Precipitate it by pouring the solution into a large bulk of dry pet ether (b 40-60o), filter and heat to 120o in a high vacuum [Turner J Chem Soc 842 1951]. The tetrahydrate crystallises from a mixture of EtOH and H2O as colourless elongated needles [Eeles Acta Cryst 6 809 1953, Beilstein 27 III/IV 7875.] VERY POISONOUS