The methanesulfonic acid-catalyzedrearrangement of thebaine (1) in the presence of thiophenol resulted in 2-phenylthioapocodeine (7), whose O-demethylation gave 2-phenylthioapomorphine (8). An analogous transformation of1 with thiosalicylic acid furnished the ethers (6) and (11) together with a polycyclic ketone (12) and a polycyclic acetal (15). Upon treatment of the acetal (15) with acid the thioxanthylium
A set of novel apomorphine derivatives were synthesized with diversely functionalized side chains in the proximity of position 2 of the aporphine skeleton. Amino and/or carboxylic functions were introduced to this region of the backbone to test their pharmacological effects. During the synthesis of 2-(S-3-mercaptopropionic acid)-derivative a heteroring-fused congener was also isolated. The structural elucidation confirmed that the formation of this product was in accordance with our previous observations on the reaction of thebaine (2) with thiosalycilic acid. All the novel apomorphine congeners 4a-g were neuropharmacologically characterized to discover their dopaminergic profiles. Two derivatives were identified as D-2 full agonists equipotent with apomorphine (1) having significantly increased D-2/D-1 selectivity ratios. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.