Is it possible to synthesize adrenaline in the lab?

[Mr_Bojingles]

Is it possible to synthesize adrenaline in the lab?

 

[gravenewworld]

Is it possible to synthesize adrenaline in the lab?

Yes it shouldn't be taht hard.

 

[JGM_14]

our body does it all the time

 

[gravenewworld]

I did a search for possible starting materials and looked at the cost vs. how many steps for a possible synthesis and you could do it this way:

Buy 2-Chloro-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanone, 97% (500 g, $283 Alpha Aesar)

Do a substitution of the chlorine with methyl amine (use a large excess of methyl amine).


Reduce the carbonyl stereoselectively using 1H,3H-Pyrrolo[1,2-c][1,3,2]oxazaborole, tetrahydro-1-methyl-3,3-diphenyl-, (S)- with Borane Dimethyl sulfide complex in THF.

I've done the reduction before, it works pretty well (>75% yield)

That should give you adrenaline.

 

[quetzalcoatl9]

our body does it all the time

that doesn't means it's easy, in fact it's generally the opposite. enzymes regularly do chemistry that we can't dream of doing in the lab.

 

[JGM_14]

that doesn't means it's easy, in fact it's generally the opposite. enzymes regularly do chemistry that we can't dream of doing in the lab.

Point taken.

 

[brewnog]

Apparently, it was first synthesised in the lab in 1904 by Freidrich Stolz...

 

[Remnant]

Hint: Meth is 1 atom away from adrenaline..