3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethylamine

The thermal condensation of p-benzyloxyphenylacetic acid and of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethylamine occurs and gives, with a yield of 86% to 92%, the N-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethyl-p-benzyloxyphenyl)acetamide from this latter, by cyclization according to Bischler-Napieralski with phosphorus oxychloride in acetonitrile, followed by reduction with sodium borohydride, there is obtained with a yield of 75% to 80% the l-(p-benzyloxybenzyl)-6-methoxy-7-hydroxy-l,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, which is methylated with... 

A synthetic route to ( )-0,f>-dimethyltubocurarine iodide (CXXV), via the racemate of 0,0-dimethylbebeerine (CXXIII), was announced in 1959 by Tolkachev and his collaborators (94). It started by the condensation of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethylamine with 4-benzyloxy-phenylacetic acid to give the amide CXXVI. Reaction of the potassium salt of the latter with the methyl ester of 3-bromo-4-methoxyphenyl-acetic acid in the presence of copper powder gave compound CXXVII. This on condensation with 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-5-bromophenethyl-amine afforded compound CXXVIII, which was methylated to CXXIX. The latter compound was cyclized with phosphorous oxychloride to the dihydroisoquinoline derivative CXXX. Debenzylation of CXXX followed by intramolecular Ullmann condensation yielded compound CXXXI. The latter was converted to racemic dimethylbebeerine (CXXIII) by reduction with zinc dust in acetic acid followed by methyla-tion. Finally, treatment of ( + )-CXXIII with methyl iodide furnished the dimethyl ether of ( + )-tubocurarine iodide, identified by comparison of its UV-spectrum with that of the dimethyl ether of natural tubo-curarine iodide and by melting-point determination of a mixture of the two specimens. 

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