Nepinalone is a

cough suppressant Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including ...

. Its brand names include Placatus, Tussolvina, and Nepitus. The effect is evident after 20–30 minutes after administration and persists for at least 4 hours. It acts primarily at the level of the CNS, but also shows a slight activity in inhibiting the bronchospasm. In such use, it is less effective than codeine and more effective than dextromethorphan in inhibiting the tussive stimulus

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Synthesis

The starting material is called 2-Phenylpropanoyl Chloride 2414-26-2 This is reacted with

ethylene Ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) is a hydrocarbon which has the formula or . It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene (a hydrocarbon with carbon-carbon double bonds). Ethylene ...

in the presence of

aluminum trichloride Aluminium chloride, also known as aluminium trichloride, is an inorganic compound with the formula . It forms hexahydrate with the formula , containing six water molecules of hydration. Both are colourless crystals, but samples are often contam ...

catalyst to give 1-methyl-2-tetralone 6405-14-9(1). Base catalyzed alkylation of this with 1-(2-chloroethyl)piperidine 932-03-2(2) gives ''Nepinalone'' (3).

References

Antitussives 1-Piperidinyl compounds Ketones Tetralins {{respiratory-system-drug-stub