Morphine → Dihydromorphine

Participants

Reaction Steps

To morphine free base (3 am, 10.5 mmol.) dissolved in absoTute ethanol (150 ml) palladium-on-activated carbon (5˜o) (1 am., 50 p.s.i.) was added. Reduction was carried out overnight (12-14 hours), in a Parr hydrogenator at ambient temperature. After confirmation of the quantitative conversion to 7,8-dihydromorphine by TLC, the ethanolic solution was filtered over Celite. The organic solvent ethanol was removed by rotary evaporation at reduced pressure, to afford 2.93 am. (97.2%) of dibydromorphine as an off-white glassy solid, homogeneous by TLC (CHCl3:MeOH (9:1), Rf=0.2). Elemental Analysis Calcd. for C17H21NO3:C, 71.08; H, 7.32; N, 4.88. Found: C, 71.11; H, 7.34; N, 4.91.

Provenance & Evidence