due to the solvated electron formed by ionization of the metal as follows li ue89e ue205 nh 3 ue89e li ue8a0 nh 3 n e ue8a0 nh 3 m the significance to chemists is that a solvated electron is a powerful chemical reagent the solvated electron is both a strong base and a strong reducing agent the solvated electron is stable in ammonia solutions for long periods of time but in the presence of many compounds it undergoes rapid reaction to yield reduced products the nazi methamphetamine synthesis takes advantage of the electron ammonia solutions in a relatively simple and high yield preparation of the drug that uses readily available starting materials a proposed reaction mechanism for the dissolving metal reduction method is as follows the key to the reaction and its defeat is the reaction of the solvated electron with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine if the solvated electron is consumed by a chemical reagent at a rate significantly higher than its reaction with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine methamphetamine synthesis will be inhibited or prevented a wide range of chemical reagents will react with the highly reactive strongly reducing solvated electron in anhydrous ammonia for convenience the reagents are divided into two categories stoichiometric compounds and catalytic compounds such compounds can be dissolved in ammonia to create a homogeneous solution or they may remain undissolved and provide a heterogeneous surface for reaction the principle of the present invention therefore is that synthesis of methamphetamine from anhydrous ammonia via the dissolving metal reduction method can be effectively inhibited through the introduction of a chemical.