Hi endlessness,
Thanks for replying. You know what, the reason I mentioned only going to 9.5 was that I had just read somewhere that with DCM as the extraction solvent, you actually only do have to go to 9.5 instead of pushing it to 11 as is done with naphtha. It said that the alks are 5X more soluble in room temp DCM than they are in even hot naphtha, and at lower pH.
But then, later I read that sodium carbonate is a pain because it takes way too much of it to get alkaline enough (and thus too much water volume to dissolve it). So I'm sort of off that kick now. I really don't mind using NaOH... it always works.
What I'm wondering now is, if NaOH is used, does the same thing still hold true about DCM (its ability to extract the alkaloids at only 9.5) or does one go all the way to 11 anyway?
I guess the attractive combo now is phosphoric acid + NaOH + DCM
Thanks for the tip on washing the fumarates to rid them of DCM. I would have thought that since DCM is so very volatile, it could not get trapped in crystals, but wouldn't want to bank on that.
Now I just have to double check for any incompatibilities between DCM and fumaric/fumarates. One thing about DCM for sure is that plastic vessels are a no-no. Glass only.
Your friend from Galaxy X-946!