O-demethylation of hydrocodone???

[Ilove0p!@t3$]

So just out of curiosity and personal intrest I've been looking at different synthesis but I just can't seem to find anything about hydrocodone only codeine but wouldn't a acid base extraction on hydrocodone pills followed by rp/i reaction basically work the same??

 

[clubcard]

Hydrocodone is easily cleaved to hydromorphone. I have listed the patent elsewhere. HBr is far more gentle & using H3BO3 as 'rate enhancer' (catalyst), 95% yield in about 1 hour (if memory serves). If you mess with P4 in a reducing environment, you end up with PH3 (phosphine).

www.lindeus.com/-/media/corporate/praxairus/documents/sds/phosphine-ph3-safety-data-sheet-sds-p4643.pdf

Do NOT mess with phosphine - HBr is enough fun on it's own.

 

[sekio]

we don't allow synthesis discussion like this, if you can't find any literature on hydrocodone demethylation you are not looking hard enough & I would not trust you to attempt any reactions