Codeine to morphine?
A. Oxidation
B. Dealkylation
C. Reduction
D. Hydrolysis
Answer (2)
The conversion of codeine to morphine is achieved through a chemical process called dealkylation, which involves removing a methyl group from codeine. This reaction increases the drug's efficacy as morphine provides stronger pain relief. Understanding this conversion is important for effective pain management in medicine.
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To convert codeine into morphine, the process of dealkylation is used. In chemistry, dealkylation is a reaction involving the removal of an alkyl group from a molecule. Codeine is an alkaloid found in opium and has a methoxy group attached to the morphine structure. When this methoxy group is removed, the remaining structure is morphine.
Here's a step-by-step explanation of why dealkylation is the correct choice:
Codeine Structure : Codeine is structurally similar to morphine but has a methoxy group (-OCH₃) on the nitrogen, which needs to be removed to convert it into morphine.
Dealkylation Process : This process involves the removal of the methoxy group (-OCH₃) to leave a hydroxy group (-OH) in its place, forming morphine.
Chemical Reaction : During this reaction, an O-demethylation occurs, effectively converting the codeine to morphine.
Given these steps, the correct answer for the conversion of codeine to morphine is B. Dealkylation . Such transformations are significant in medicinal chemistry and research.
