Methadone (6-dimethylamino-4,4-diphenyl-3-heptanone) is a synthetic opioid developed by the German chemists Bockmuhl and Erhart working for the hoechst laboratories of IG Farber around the time of the second world war.
Methadone is a white crystaline powder with a bitter taste that is water soluble. But is insoluble in ether and glycerol. Methadone is relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare, the entire process only requiring approximately 10 hours.
Below is a simplified reaction scheme of the synthesis of methadone:
