ORGN 140 |
| Codeinone (3) was efficiently and directly converted to 14-hydroxycodeinone (1) by catalytic air oxidation in aqueous solution. A number of simple manganese and copper salts were identified to be effective catalysts, including MnSO4, KMnO4, and CuSO4. An appropriate reducing agent, such as sodium thiosulfate, is required in the reaction mixture presumably for the reduction of a detrimental peroxide intermediate. This discovery allows the more naturally abundant codeine to be employed as the starting material for the synthesis of 14-hydroylated opiate drugs without recourse to a thebaine-like intermediate. These discoveries were inspired from our study of microbial transformation of codeine to 14-hydroxycodeine by Mycobacterium neoaurum, where we found the actual 14-hydroxylation step is a chemical reaction rather than an enzymatic reaction, as previously believed.
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Asymmetric Reactions and Syntheses, Physical Organic Chemistry, Combinatorial Chemistry, Total Synthesis
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Sunday, 26 March 2006 Georgia World Congress Center -- Ex. Hall B4, Poster
Sci-Mix
Division of Organic Chemistry |
