Several synthetic pathways of morphine opioids

Abstract

Throughout history, painkillers have played an integral role in humans day-to-day lives. Used to relieve pain in various ways throughout the body, painkillers have gone through many years of development to keep up with the demands of modern medicine. More specifically, opioids, one type of pain killer that works with the human central nervous system, have been at an all-time high in demand. Its use for treating both acute and chronic pain is indispensable in medicine. However, the neural pathways associated with its pain-relieving effects make these substances highly addictive. In the past, morphine, one type of opioid, had been mainly grown and extracted in its plant form, opium poppy. But due to the highly addictive nature of these plants, numerous countries have strictly regulated the growth of any morphine plants, including China and Afghanistan. These regulations lead to the inability to obtain morphine-like opium through natural purification. Because of this, scientists have been in search of the most efficient and effective methods of synthesizing morphine. This review aims to provide the history, techniques, and further analysis of existing morphine opioid synthesis processes.