| abstract |
A process is provided for preparing oxymorphone from morphine by: (a) reacting morphine with an acyl halide or anhydride to form 3-acylmorphine, or (b) reacting morphine with benzyl-halide to form 3-benzylmorphine, and thereafter either by (3a) or (3b): n (3a) introducing a β-oriented hydroxy group at the 14-position of the 3-acyl- or 3-benzyl-morphinone with aqueous hydrogen peroxide and an acid at at temperature of about 15° to about 70° C. to form the 3-acyl or 3-benzyl-14-hydroxymorphinone; n (3b) acylating the 3-acyl or 3-benzyl-morphinone with an acylating agent so as to form the dienol acylate followed by oxidizing the dienol acetate to the corresponding 3-acyl or 3-benzyl-14-hydroxymorphinone; n (4) hydrogenating the 3-acyl-14-hydroxymorphinone with a catalyst so as to form the 3-acyloxymorphone; n (5) hydrolyzing the 3-acyl-oxymorphone with aqueous acidic or basic solution to form oxymorphone; n (6) hydrogenating the 3-benzyl-14-hydroxymorphinone with a catalyst so as to form oxymorphone. |