THE SYNTHESIS AND SEPARATION OF [3-H-2]TROPINE AND [3-H-2]PSEUDOTROPINE (PSI-TROPINE)

Tropinone was reduced using sodium borodeuteride to give a mixture of the epimers [3-H-2] tropine and [3-H-2]pseudotropine with the latter c ompound predominating and constituting about 70% of the mixture. Cryst allisation of the product from diethyl ether gave crystals of pure [3- H-2]pseudotropine and a supernatant solution containing a mixture of t he epimers. Acetylation of this mixture using acetyl chloride preferen tially acetylated the pseudotropine and the acetylated products were s eparated from the tropine by flash chromatography to leave a sample of pure [3-H-2]tropine.