Processes for preparing morphinans and intermediates thereof

1. A process for the preparation of a nordihydrothebainone product comprising nordihydrothebainone or an analog thereof having the structure of formula 10:

wherein

X is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, —S(O)—, —S(O 2 )—, —C(R 18 R 19 )—, —N(R 17 )— and —N + (R 17a R 17b )—;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 18 , and R 19 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted acyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, alkynyl, amino, aryl, arylalkoxy, carboalkoxy, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, carboxyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, cycloalkylether, halo, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyl, and nitro, or R 18 and R 19 together form keto;

R 17 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, acyl, alkenyl, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkynyl, aryl, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, carboxyl, carboxyamide, carboxyester, hydroxyl and hydroxyalkyl; and

R 17a and R 17b are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl and benzyl or together form oxo;

the process comprising:

forming a reaction mixture comprising a β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound, a cyclizing acid and an acid anhydride to produce the nordihydrothebainone product, the β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound having the structure of formula 11:

wherein

X, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 17 , R 18 and R 19 and are as defined above.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cyclizing acid comprises a super acid selected from the group consisting of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, fluorosulfonic acid, perchloric acid, perfluoroalkylsulfonic acids, perfluoroethanesulfonic acid, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and combinations thereof or combinations with one or more Lewis acids.

3. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the acid anhydride comprises an anhydride of a strong acid or a super acid and the acid anhydride corresponds to the strong acid or super acid used as the cyclizing acid.

4. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the acid anhydride and the super acid are trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid respectively.

5. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein X is —N(R 17 )—.

6. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound is 1-(2′-bromo-4′-methoxy-5′-hydroxybenzyl)-2-formyl-6-oxo-1,3,4,5,7,8-hexahydroisoquinoline, the cyclizing acid is a super acid, the acid anhydride corresponds to the super acid and the nordihydrothebainone product comprises 1-bromo-N-formylnordihydrothebainone.

7. The process as set forth in claim 1 further comprising converting the nordihydrothebainone product of formula 10 to a compound of formula 1 having the structure:

wherein

-A′-A- represents the group

-D-D′- represents the group

-A-D- represents the group —CH 2 CH 2 — or —CH═CH— or ═CH—CH═;

X is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, —S(O)—, —S(O 2 )—, —N(R 17 )— and —N + (R 17a R 17b —;

R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted acyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, alkynyl, amino, aryl, arylalkoxy, carboalkoxy, carbonyl, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, carboxyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, cycloalkylether, halo, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyl, and nitro;

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, hydroxyl and acetoxy;

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, hydroxyl and acetoxy;

R 14 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl and acetoxy;

R 17 is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, alkylenecycloalkyl, allyl alkenyl, acyl, formyl, formyl ester, formamide and benzyl;

R 17a and R 17b are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl and benzyl;

R 18 , and R 19 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted acyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkylamino, arylthio, alkylthio, alkynyl, amino, aryl, arylalkoxy, carboalkoxy, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, carboxyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, halo, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyl and nitro or R 18 and R 19 together form keto; and

R 61 and R 62 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and aryl;

provided that if -A-D- is —CH═CH—, then -A′-A- is other than —C(R 6 )═CH— and -D-D′- is other than

8. A process for the preparation of a nordihydrothebainone product comprising nordihydrothebainone or an analog thereof having structure of formula 10:

wherein

X is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, —S(O)—, —S(O 2 )—, —C(R 18 R 19 )—, —N(R 17 )— and —N + (R 17a R 17b )—;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 1 , R 18 , and R 19 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted acyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, alkynyl, amino, aryl, arylalkoxy, carboalkoxy, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, carboxyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, cycloalkylether, halo, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyl, and nitro, or R 18 and R 19 together form keto;

R 17 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, acyl, alkenyl, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkynyl, aryl, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, carboxyl, carboxyamide, carboxyester, hydroxyl and hydroxyalkyl; and

R 17a and R 17b are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl and benzyl or together form oxo;

the process comprising:

forming a reaction mixture comprising a β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound and a cyclizing acid in a Grewe reaction zone to produce a Grewe product mixture comprising the nordihydrothebainone product and an α,β-bicyclic ketone compound by-product, the β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound having the structure of formula 11:

wherein

X, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 17 , R 18 and R 19 and are as defined above;

reacting the α,β-bicyclic ketone compound by-product obtained in the Grewe product mixture with a ketone protecting compound in an isomerization reaction zone to form a protected β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound, the α,β-bicyclic ketone compound by-product having the structure of formulae 30 or 31 and the protected β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound having the structure of formula 32:

wherein

R 63 and R 64 are independently selected from the group consisting of alkoxy and alkylthio or together with the carbons to which they are attached form a ketal, dithioketal or monothioketal; and

X, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 17 , R 18 and R 19 are as defined above; and

hydrolyzing the protected β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound to form the β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound of formula 11.

9. The process as set forth in claim 8 further comprising introducing the β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound formed by hydrolyzing the protected β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound into the Grewe reaction zone.

10. The process as set forth in claim 8 wherein the ketone protecting compound is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-ethanedithiol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanedithiol, 1,3-propanedithiol, 2-mercaptoethanol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, 1,2-pentanediol, 2,4-pentanediol, 2,4-dimethyl-2,4-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol, 1,2-octanediol, 1,2-decanediol, 1,2-dodecanediol, cis-1,2-cyclopentanediol, trans-1,2-cyclopentanediol, cis-1,2-cyclooctanediol, trans-1,2-cyclooctanediol, (+)-pinanediol, (−)-pinanediol, catechol, and enantiomers and combinations thereof.

11. The process as set forth in claim 8 wherein the cyclization reaction of β,γ-bicyclic ketone compound to the nordihydrothebainone product is carried out in the presence of a cyclizing acid and an acid anhydride.

12. The process as set forth in claim 8 wherein the cyclizing acid is selected from the group consisting of strong acids, super acids and combinations thereof and the acid anhydride corresponds to the strong acid or super acid used as the cyclizing acid.

13. The process as set forth in claim 8 wherein the α,β-bicyclic ketone compound is selected from 1-(2′-bromo-4′-methoxy-5′-hydroxybenzyl)-2-formyl-1,3,4,7,8-hexahydroisoquinolin-6-one and 1-(2′-bromo-4′-methoxy-5′-hydroxybenzyl)-2-formyl-1,3,4,5-hexahydroisoquinolin-6-one and the nordihydrothebainone product comprises 1-bromo-N-formylnordihydrothebainone or analogs thereof.

14. The process as set forth in claim 8 further comprising converting the nordihydrothebainone product of formula 10 to a compound of formula 1 having the structure:

wherein

-A′-A- represents the group

-D-D′- represents the group

-A-D-represents the group —CH 2 CH 2 — or —CH═CH— or ═CH—CH═;

X is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, —S(O)—, —S(O 2 )—, —C(R 18 R 19 )—, —N(R 17 )— and —N + (R 17a R 17b )—;

R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted acyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, alkynyl, amino, aryl, arylalkoxy, carboalkoxy, carbonyl, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, carboxyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, cycloalkylether, halo, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyl, and nitro;

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, hydroxyl and acetoxy;

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, hydroxyl and acetoxy;

R 14 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl and acetoxy;

R 17 is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, alkylenecycloalkyl, allyl alkenyl, acyl, formyl, formyl ester, formamide and benzyl;

R 17a and R 17b are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl and benzyl;

R 18 , and R 19 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted acyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkyl, alkylamino, arylthio, alkylthio, alkynyl, amino, aryl, arylalkoxy, carboalkoxy, carboxyalkenyl, carboxyalkyl, carboxyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, halo, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyl and nitro or R 18 and R 19 together form keto; and

R 61 and R 62 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and aryl;

provided that if -A-D- is —CH═CH—, then -A′-A- is other than —C(R 6 )═CH— and -D-D′- is other than