SPHAEROPHYSINE

Description

An alkaloidal amine, this base occurs in the Central Asian plant, Sphaerophysa salsula. It is strongly basic and very hygroscopic and difficult to obtained in the pure form. It has been isolated as the carbonate, m.p. 192-3°C which, like the dipicrate, m.p. 154-5°C and the dibenzoate, m.p. 149-150°C, is stable in air. Hydrogenation gives the dihydro derivative which also yields a carbonate, m.p. 193-4°C; a dipicrate, m.p. 154-5°C and a dibenzoate, m.p. 146-7°C. When steam distilled over Ba(OHh, the alkaloid furnishes carbamide and a diamine, C9H20N2, b.p. 105-6°C/l0 mm. Reduction of the latter gives the dihydro com_x0002_pound which is shown to be isoamylputrescine. From chemical degradation, the structure of the alkaloid has been shown to be that given above.

References

Rubinstein, Men'shikov.,J. Gen. Chem., USSR, 14, 161, 172 (1944)