Asrxuc'r.-(+)-Salutadimerine [l], the first reported dimeric rnorphinandienone alkaloid, has been found in Turkish Papaverpseuh-orienta(P and Papaw lasiothrix. A hitherto notable feature of the morphinandienone alkaloids has been that they were always obtained as strictly monomeric species (1,2). We now describe the alkaloid (+)-salutadimerine [l], which is the first dimeric morphinandienone and is most probably formed biogenetically by oxidative coupling of two (+)-salutaridine entities.Amorphous (+)-salutadimerine [l), C38H40N208, was found in Papaver pseudo-orientale Fedde (Medw .) and Papaver lasiothrix Fedde (Papaveraceae), both of Turkish origin.The mass spectrum showed molecular ion mlz 652, which was also the base peak. This large molecular ion was accompanied by an [MI++ mlz 326 peak, testifying to the dimeric nature of this alkaloid. The uv spectrum was that of an isoquinoline alkaloid, with A max 284 nm (log E 3.70). The ir spectrum displayed an absorption pattern typical of morphinandienones, with cross-conjugated carbonyl peaks at 1670, 1640, and 1620 cm-' (1,2).The 'H-nmr spectrum obtained in CDCI, solution (500 MHt) was clearly indicative of a dimeric species related to (+)-salutaridine 12). The two singlets at 6 2.48 and 2.52 in 1 represent the Nmethyl group of each moiety. The proton signals of the aliphatic region in the monomeric (+)-salutaridine 121 spec-tnun can be divided into two groups, a 9 and C-10 and a CH,-CH, combination for the protons at C- 15 and C- 16. The first of these systems is clearly char- 'Permanent address: FxultY of Pharmacy, 1s- CH-CH, system due to the protons at C-tanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. *Permanent address: CEPM, UFR des Sciencm Maicdes et Pbmareutiques, univenit~ d'hgers, 49045 Angers Cedex, France. acterized by a doublet for H-9 near 6 3.7 and by a doublet and a doublet of doublets of doublets (ddd) near 6 3.3 and 3.0, respectively, for the two C-10 protons. The ddd is actually due to the splitting by H-9 (J=5.6 Hz), and by H-1 (/= 1.0 Hz). As for the C-15 and C-16 protons, they are readily recognized because the pattern for each proton takes the form of a ddd. While three of these protons resonate near 6 2.5, H- 15a axial appears characteristically upfield near 6 1.7. of H-lOa by H-1OP (J,,,= 17.6 Hz),Significantly, these sets of aliphatic signals were mostly duplicated in the spectrum of (+)-salutadimerine 111. But a significant difference was that Hlop axial had moved appreciably downfield to 6 3.76, whereas H-loa equatorial was now slightly upfield at 6 2.8 1. The signal for H-5 in salutaridine-type compounds is found typically downfieldaround 6 7.5, while H-8 is close to 6 6.3. For our dimer, two singlets for H-8 and H-8' could be observed around 6 6.3, but only one singlet for H-5 was seen at 6 7.56. The H-5' singlet was located significantly upfield at 6 6.56. Whereas in (+)-salutaridine I21 the H-1 and H-2 signals appear at 6 6.64 and 6.73, in the dimer only one such set was present, at 6 7.01 and 6.86. The downfield shift of the H-1' signal in the dimer is related to the fact that the oxygen at C-4 is now part of a diaryl ether bridge. The observation that only one aromatic AB system was in evidence in the spectrum of the dimer strongly suggested that the terminus of the diaryl ether bridge connecting the two units of the dimer was at C- 1. This site, incidentally, is in a para rerationship to the C-4 phenolic function and would be a logical position for phenolic oxidative coupling. In line with these observations,Values in one moiety are interchangeable with the corresponding values in the other moiety.*+Values are interchangeable.H-2 appeared as a singlet upfield at 6 5.9 1. Another point of interest was the upfield shift of the C-6' methoxyl singlet (6 2.82) due to shielding by ring A.A series of nOe measurements provided not only further proof of structure for dimer 1, but also an insight into its conformation. Some of the nOe results are indicated in diagram la which also shows the approximate conformation of the dimer. Of particular importance are the reciprocating nOe's between H-2 (6 5.91) and H-5' (6 6.56). Also, irradiation of the C-6' methoxyl(6 2.82) led to enhancement of the H-2 singlet (6 5.9 1). An interesting enhancement of the C-3 methoxyl (6 3.56) occurred upon irradiation of the H- 15' axial multiplet (6 1.86), and indeed a molecular model indicated that the protons involved are sufficiently proximate for enhancement to take place.The results of a I3C-nmr study carried out in CDCI, have been summarized around structure Ib. The chemical shift assignments were reinforced by an XH correlation experiment. These shifts are closely related to those for (+) salutaridine itself (see 2a) (2), except for those of C- 1, C-4', and neighboring carbons. This difference is, ofcourse, due to the fact that C- 1 and C-4' are directly involved in the diary1 ether bridge.Because morphinandienones are normally found in nature as optically active species and the major alkaloid in the two plants is (+)-salutaridine, we have indicated the corresponding stereochemistry for the dimer, as represented in structure 1. It should be noted, however, that this assignment of absolute configuration remains to be proven. Paucity of material precluded further study of the alkaloid.