Synthesis and pharmacology of 2,9alpha-dimethyl-2'-hydroxy-6,7-benzomorphan

2,9alpha-Dimethyl-2'-hydroxy-6,7-benzomorphan (14) has been synthesized in six to seven steps from trans-3,4-dihydro-4-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-6-methoxy-3-methyl-1(2H)-naphthalenone (1). The key reaction of the sequence was mercuric acetate cyclization of trans-1,2-dihydro-1-(2-methylaminoethyl)-7-methoxy-2-methylnaphthalene (8) which gave a mixture of 9alpha-methyl-8alpha-hydroxy-6,7-benzomorphan (9, 49%), the corresponding acetate (10, 13%), and the 9beta-methyl-8alpha-hydroxy-6,7-benzomorphan (11, 5%). In the presence of Et3N, the yields were 16, 37, and 0%, respectively. Structural assignments are based on ir, NMR, and mass spectral data and on chemical conversions.