The Synaptic Leap

 
For an inexpensive route to rac-PZQ (and potentially the enantioenriched material), the relevant starting materials (below) are required. While prices may be obtained for these from commercial catalogues, we require realistic prices of these materials on a large (ton) scale to assess whether this approach to PZQ is economically viable. The starting materials are:
 

Reissert route chemicals:

   


    Isoquinoline
    (InChI=1/C9H7N/c1-2-4-9-7-10-6-5-8(9)3-1/h1-7H)
 

   Cyclohexanoyl chloride
   (InChI=1/C7H11ClO/c8-7(9)6-4-2-1-3-5-6/h6H,1-5H2)
 
 
  Cyclohexane carboxylic acid
  (InChI=1/C7H12O2/c8-7(9)6-4-2-1-3-5-6/h6H,1-5H2,(H,8,9))
 
 
Example price from Sigma-Aldrich = US$59 for 500 g = 12 cents per gram. Bulk?
 
 
       Thionyl Chloride
       (InChI=1/Cl2OS/c1-4(2)3)
     
 

    Chloroacetyl chloride
    (InChI=1/C2H2Cl2O/c3-1-2(4)5/h1H2)
 
 
Cyanide sources:  KCN (InChI=1/CN.K/c1-2;/q-1;+1)
                      or    NaCN (InChI=1/CN.Na/c1-2;/q-1;+1)
 
 

Pictet-Spengler route chemicals:

 
  2-Phenylethanamine
  (InChI=1/C8H11N/c9-7-6-8-4-2-1-3-5-8/h1-5H,6-7,9H2)
 
US$ 96 for 1 L (Sigma-Aldrich)
 
 
 

   2,2-Dimethoxyethanamine 
   (InChI=1/C4H11NO2/c1-6-4(3-5)7-2/h4H,3,5H2,1-2H3 )
  
US$ 532 for 500 mL (Sigma-Aldrich)