Oxycodone may be prepared from thebaine by: dissolution of the thebaine in aqueous formic acid, oxidation treatment with 30% hydrogen peroxide (Seki, 18 Chem. Pharm. Bull. 671-676, 1970), neutralization with aqueous ammonia to yield 14-hydroxycodeinone and hydrogenation of the 14-hydroxycodeinone in acetic acid with the aid of a palladium-charcoal catalyst (Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences 1041, 1975). Oxidation of thebaine may alternatively be performed using potassium dichromate in acetic acid (Freund et al., 94 J Prakt. Chem. 135, 1916) or performic acid (Iljima et al., 60 Helv. Chim. Acta 2135-2137, 1977). Improved yield, however, has been reported to be obtained by oxidizing with m-chloroperbenzoic acid in an acetic acid-trifluoroacetic acid mixture (Hauser et al., 17 J Med. Chem. 1117, 1974; See also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,813 to Schwartz, Col. 1, Lines 22-26). Yield may also be improved by hydrogenation of 14-hydroxycodeinone under a pressure of about 30 psi (Kraβnig et al. 329 Arch. Pharm. Pharm. Med. Chem. 325-326, 1996).
