One-pot N-dealkylation and acid-catalyzed rearrangement of morphinans into aporphines

The one-pot N-demethylation and acid-catalyzed rearrangement of morphinan-N-oxides offers a new, shorter and more efficient route to neuropharmacologically important N-substituted aporphines. An improved procedure is described for the preparation of the starting alkaloid N-oxides using Na2WO4 as catalyst. The transetherification during the rearrangement of codeinone into 2-O-alkyl-norapocodeines is documented.