Related Experiment Videos
Photochemical N-demethylation of alkaloids
J A Ripper1, E R Tiekink, P J Scammells
1School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters
|March 7, 2001
Abstract:
Certain alkaloids were observed to undergo N-demethylation processes under photochemical conditions. Tropine, acetyltropine, tropinone, and atropine were cleanly N-demethylated upon treatment with tetraphenylporphin, oxygen, and light. Dextromethorphan also underwent a N-demethylation reaction, but reacted further to afford an imine. In contrast, 14-acyloxycodeinones underwent a photochemically induced tandem N-demethylation acyl migration.