Methods for producing hydroxyalkyl tropane esters

Abstract

This invention provides a method for preparing a hydroxyalkyl tropane ester, comprising: (a) contacting a tropane and 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole to produce an activated tropane ester; (b) contacting the activated tropane ester with an excess of an alkanediol to form a reaction mixture; and (c) maintaining the reaction mixture at a temperature and for a sufficient time for the activated tropane ester to react with the alkanediol to form the corresponding hydroxyalkyl tropane ester. This method may be used to produce hydroxyalkyl derivatives of tropanes such as benzoylecgonine, ecgonine and ecgonidine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.