Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

N-Demethylation of N-methyl alkaloids with ferrocene

GB Kok, PJ Scammells

Index: Kok, Gaik B.; Scammells, Peter J. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2010 , vol. 20, # 15 p. 4499 - 4502

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Citation Number: 17

Abstract

Under Polonovski-type conditions, ferrocene has been found to be a convenient and efficient catalyst for the N-demethylation of a number of N-methyl alkaloids such as opiates and tropanes. By judicious choice of solvent, good yields have been obtained for dextromethorphan, codeine methyl ether, and thebaine. The current methodology is also successful for the N-demethylation of morphine, oripavine, and tropane alkaloids, ...