Sodium Azide → 2-((Dimethylamino)methyl)-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanol

Participants

Reaction Steps

33.4 g of a mixture consisting of 45% (RR,SS) Tramadol hydrochloride and 55% of the corresponding (RS,SR) isomer was immersed in 50 ml trifluoroacetic acid, 5.2 g of sodium azide was added, and the reaction mixture was stirred for 24 hours. The reaction mixture was then evaporated under reduced pressure, 50 ml water was added, and the solution was brought to pH 12 with solid potassium carbonate. The suspension was extracted with 50 ml toluene, the solvent was evaporated and 25 ml hydrogen chloride solution in isopropanol were added. The solution was cooled and filtered. 9.5 g of crude (RR,SS) Tramadol were obtained, and the crude product was purified by recrystallization from isopropanol. The hitherto unknown (RS,SR)-2-(dimethylaminomethyl)-1-azido-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-cyclohexane hydrochloride was isolated from the reaction mixture, recrystallized from isopropanol and characterized as follows:

Provenance & Evidence