Amines ketones, with ethyl ammonium formate

The hrst step in the preparation of the antidepressant maprotiline (33-5) takes advantage of the acidity of anthrone protons for incorporation of the side chain. Thus treatment of (30-1) with ethyl acrylate and a relatively mild base leads to the Michael adduct saponihcation of the ester group gives the corresponding acid (33-1). The ketone group is then reduced by means of zinc and ammonium hydroxide. Dehydration of the hrst-formed alcohol under acidic conditions leads to the formation of fully aromatic anthracene (33-2). Diels-Alder addition of ethylene under high pressure leads to the addition across the 9,10 positions and the formation of the central 2,2,2-bicyclooctyl moiety (33-3). The hnal steps involve the construction of the typical antidepressant side chain. The acid in (33-3) is thus converted to an acid chloride and that function reacted with methylamine to form the amide (33-4). Reduction to a secondary amine completes the synthesis of (33-5) [33]. 

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