The analgesic, soporific, and euphoriant properties of the dried juice obtained from unripe seed pods of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum have been known for centuries. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the active principle, morphine, had been isolated and its structure determined. Even though morphine is one of modern medicine's most effective painkillers, it has two serious disadvantages. First, it is addictive. Second, it depresses the respiratory control center of the central nervous system. Large doses of morphine (or heroin, which is the 3,6-diacetyl ester of morphine) can lead to death by respiratory failure. Me. H Me. OH MeO Morphine Morphinan (+/-) = Racemethorphan (+) = Dextromethorphan (-) = Levomethorphan %3D %3D For these reasons, chemists have sought to produce painkillers related in structure to morphine, but without the serious disadvantages. One strategy has been to mod- ify the carbon-nitrogen skeleton of morphine in the hope of producing medications equally effective but with reduced side effects. One target of this synthetic effort was morphinan, the bare morphine skeleton. Among the compounds thus synthe- sized, racemethorphan (the racemic mixture) and levomethorphan (the levorotatory enantiomer) proved to be very potent analgesics. Interestingly, the dextrorotatory enantiomer, dextromethorphan, has no analgesic activity. It does, however, show approximately the same antitussive (cough-suppressing) activity as morphine and is therefore used extensively in cough remedies. Following is a synthesis of racemethorphan. H NC H,N- H,PO, Meo (A) (B) (C) H NaBH, (redraw) H,PO, MeO MeO MeO (D) (E) H,C EtO MeO MeO MeO (F) (G) Racemethorphan

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Propose a reagent for the conversion of (G) to racemethorphan

The analgesic, soporific, and euphoriant properties of the dried juice obtained from unripe
seed pods of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum have been known for centuries. By the
beginning of the nineteenth century, the active principle, morphine, had been isolated
and its structure determined. Even though morphine is one of modern medicine's most
effective painkillers, it has two serious disadvantages. First, it is addictive. Second, it
depresses the respiratory control center of the central nervous system. Large doses of
morphine (or heroin, which is the 3,6-diacetyl ester of morphine) can lead to death by
respiratory failure.
Me.
H
Me.
OH
MeO
Morphine
Morphinan
(+/-) = Racemethorphan
(+) = Dextromethorphan
(-) = Levomethorphan
%3D
%3D
For these reasons, chemists have sought to produce painkillers related in structure
to morphine, but without the serious disadvantages. One strategy has been to mod-
ify the carbon-nitrogen skeleton of morphine in the hope of producing medications
equally effective but with reduced side effects. One target of this synthetic effort
was morphinan, the bare morphine skeleton. Among the compounds thus synthe-
sized, racemethorphan (the racemic mixture) and levomethorphan (the levorotatory
enantiomer) proved to be very potent analgesics. Interestingly, the dextrorotatory
enantiomer, dextromethorphan, has no analgesic activity. It does, however, show
approximately the same antitussive (cough-suppressing) activity as morphine and is
therefore used extensively in cough remedies.
Following is a synthesis of racemethorphan.
Transcribed Image Text:The analgesic, soporific, and euphoriant properties of the dried juice obtained from unripe seed pods of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum have been known for centuries. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the active principle, morphine, had been isolated and its structure determined. Even though morphine is one of modern medicine's most effective painkillers, it has two serious disadvantages. First, it is addictive. Second, it depresses the respiratory control center of the central nervous system. Large doses of morphine (or heroin, which is the 3,6-diacetyl ester of morphine) can lead to death by respiratory failure. Me. H Me. OH MeO Morphine Morphinan (+/-) = Racemethorphan (+) = Dextromethorphan (-) = Levomethorphan %3D %3D For these reasons, chemists have sought to produce painkillers related in structure to morphine, but without the serious disadvantages. One strategy has been to mod- ify the carbon-nitrogen skeleton of morphine in the hope of producing medications equally effective but with reduced side effects. One target of this synthetic effort was morphinan, the bare morphine skeleton. Among the compounds thus synthe- sized, racemethorphan (the racemic mixture) and levomethorphan (the levorotatory enantiomer) proved to be very potent analgesics. Interestingly, the dextrorotatory enantiomer, dextromethorphan, has no analgesic activity. It does, however, show approximately the same antitussive (cough-suppressing) activity as morphine and is therefore used extensively in cough remedies. Following is a synthesis of racemethorphan.
H
NC
H,N-
H,PO,
Meo
(A)
(B)
(C)
H
NaBH,
(redraw)
H,PO,
MeO
MeO
MeO
(D)
(E)
H,C
EtO
MeO
MeO
MeO
(F)
(G)
Racemethorphan
Transcribed Image Text:H NC H,N- H,PO, Meo (A) (B) (C) H NaBH, (redraw) H,PO, MeO MeO MeO (D) (E) H,C EtO MeO MeO MeO (F) (G) Racemethorphan
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