An efficient, practical and expeditious method has been developed
for the oxidation of thebaine to 14-hydroxycodeinone in excellent
yield by employing 20 mol% of V2O5 in
the presence of 30% H2O2 in aqueous
medium. The method provides a clean technological process for the
preparation of a key drug intermediate, 14-hydroxycodeinone.
14-hydroxycodeinone - thebaine - vanadium pentoxide - hydrogen peroxide - catalytic oxidation