Thebaine Adducts with Maleimides. Synthesis and Transformations

Diels-Alder reaction of thebaine with maleimides is structurally specific and yields [7,8,3′,4′ ]-succinimido-endo-ethenotetrahydrothebaines containing N′-alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl or aryl substituents. N′-[1(S)-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpropyl]-succinimido-6,14-endo-ethenotetrahydrothebaine formed in reaction of S-valinol with (7α,8α)-anhydrido-6,14-endo-ethenotetrahydrothebaine. The reduction of the adducts by LiAlH4 afforded N′-substituted 7,8-pyrrolidino-endo-ethenotetrahydrothebaines. The reduction of fused succinimides by NaBH4 resulted in the corresponding 2′α-hydroxylactam derivatives. O-Demethylation of the tetrahydrothebaine pyrrolidine derivatives effected by BBr3 afforded compounds of the tetrahydrooripavine series. The O-demethylation of tetrahydrothebaine succinimide derivatives gave rise to the corresponding 6-demethyl-endo-ethenotetrahydrooripavines. Alkylation conditions were found for N′-(4-hydroxyphenethyl)-substituted tetrahydrothebaine succinimide derivatives.