Patent ID: 7999105

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a morphinan compound (III) corresponding to the formula: the process comprising hydrolyzing a compound (I) corresponding to the formula: in a protic solvent to form an intermediate compound (II) corresponding to the formula: and heating a mixture comprising an aqueous solvent and the compound (II), at a pH of about 1 to about 6, to form compound (III), wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, acyl, —SR 4 , —OR 4 , and —NR 4 R 5 ; R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, B(OH) 2 , and R 1 and R 2 , along with the atoms to which they are attached, form a 5-membered ring having a fifth ring member B(OH); provided, however, that at least one of R 1 and R 2 is B(OH) 2 or that R 1 and R 2 form the 5-membered ring; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, and a nitrogen protecting group; R 4 and R 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and acyl; R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, NH 2 , SH, hydrocarbyl, and substituted hydrocarbyl, wherein R 6 and R 7 may together form a group selected from the group consisting of ═O and ═S; R 8 and R 9 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, NH 2 , CN, hydrocarbyl, and substituted hydrocarbyl; and X is selected from the group consisting of chloro, bromo, and iodo.