Methyl alcoholic potassium hydroxide

The new /-hydrastine is considered to be /-a-hydrastine and natural hydrastine to be /- -hydrastine, which implies (1) that the latter differs from natural narcotine (/-a-narcotine) in stereochemical configuration (2) that since a-gnoscopine, but not -gnoscopine, can be resolved, the synthesis of natural hydrastine will involve the deracemisation of hydra-stine-b, to /-a-hydrastine, which can be epimerised to natural hydrastine (/- -hydrastine) by boiling with methyl-alcoholic potassium hydroxide. 

Confirmatory evidence up to this point was obtained by treating anhydrotetrahydromethylcryptopine methosulphate with methyl alcoholic potassium hydroxide, which furnished trimethylamine and a non-nitro-genous substance, cryptopidene, m.p. 124°, which on oxidation... 

Similarly, sodium methoxide (NaOCHj) is a suitable base and is used in methyl alcohol. Potassium hydroxide in ethyl alcohol is another base-solvent combination often employed in the dehydrohalogenation of alkyl halides. Potassium ferf-butoxide [K0C(CH3)3] is the prefened base when the alkyl halide is primary it is used in either terf-butyl alcohol or dimethyl sulfoxide as solvent. 

Dpon heating diphenylthiocarbazide with methyl alcoholic potassium hydroxide dithizone (or diphenylthiocarhazone) (III) is produced ... 

Ergot alkaloid (eg. 2 grams) can be transformed into lysergic acid when dissolved in (50 mL) normal methyl alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution and refluxed under inert gas. A small amount of water (approx. 50 mL) is added and the alcohol is evaporated under reduced pressure. The base is extracted with ether and the aqueous layer is acidified with sulfuric acid to precipitate the crude lysergic acid, which is then purified. 

Confirmatory evidence up to this point was obtained by treating anhydrotetrahydromethylcryptopine methosulphate with methyl alcoholic potassium hydroxide, which furnished trimethylamine and a non-nitro-genous substance, cryptopidene, C2QH20O4, m.p. 124°, which on oxidation with permanganate yielded 5 6-methylenedioxy-o-tolualdehyde (II) and the corresponding acid, as well as 4 5-dimethoxyvinylbenzaldehyde (V) with m-opianic and wi-hemipinic acids, from which the formula of cryptopidene (VI) is built up as follows ... 

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