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 The Lycaeum Forums » Psychedelics & Non Visionary Related » Visionary Chemicals (Moderator: 2a)Topic:
 Physical differences between ketamine isomers

[delysiduous]

So it's generally accepted that there are qualitative differences in the activities of the two isomers; if memory serves me correctly S-ketamine is more potent and R is more psychedelic.

My question is, does anyone know anything about possible differences in the physical appearance of the two isomers?  I'm talking about the pure substance before it ever goes into solution, not what is yielded after a solution is evaporated.  I have seen some k that is off white, shiny crystals and then other k that is clear, small crystals, almost like little tiny silica beads.  My theory would be that the shiny crystals are the R isomer, and the clear ones are the S.  Is there any data to back any of this up?

[pylkko]

The crystal structure or color cannot really give you any good clue to which enantiomer is in question. Even pure enantiomer can form various crystal structures. Not only that, the crystal stucture can incorporate some impurity within it (like water, or solvent or other shit).

Most K that you will come by probably is pharmaceutical and therefore racemate. Some producers apperently produe s-only ketamine, but it's rare.

[delysiduous]

The crystal structure or color cannot really give you any good clue to which enantiomer is in question. Even pure enantiomer can form various crystal structures. Not only that, the crystal stucture can incorporate some impurity within it (like water, or solvent or other shit).

Most K that you will come by probably is pharmaceutical and therefore racemate. Some producers apperently produe s-only ketamine, but it's rare.

I kind of doubt it's pharm k, for certain reasons.  Just noticed that the differences in appearances seem to coincide with the differences in activities.  Maybe one is racemic, and the other is enantiomerically pure, idk.  There's some difference, though.

I'll figure it out. 

[pylkko]

I'm not very familiar with clandestine ketamine manufacture. Karch's Pathology of Drug Abuse says that no clandestine ketamine lab has ever been discovered in the US. I always assumed that street k originates from pharmaceutical industry. However, I know that it is made in China in illegal labs. Either way, considering how difficult it is to resolve enantiomers, I'd bet that whatever you have is racemic. Unless the actual route is enantiomer selective. I some how doubt that also, although I have not really studied this. The info is probably all on the net.

[luc]

I am pretty sure that if some sythesized ketamine and separated the isomers, assuming the same recrystallization technique is used, that they would appear exactly the same.  I haven't ever heard of clandestine ketamine labs before, I thought it was all produced by a legit lab and makes it way to the streets.  I know some overseas companies offer it, but the are the same companies that offer dozens of differnt benzos that all actually contain whatever benzo they can get their hands on the the cheapest.  If that is where your differing samples came from I'd suspect that they probably aren't ketamine at all.  FYI I have no first hand experience with ketamine.