The photochemistry of proaporphines: a new route to the aporphines

Proaporphines undergo light catalyzed rearrangement. Pakistanamine ($\text{1}$) is thus converted into lumipakistanine ($\text{2}$), while pronuciferine ($\text{7}$) and N-acetylnorpronuciferine ($\text{8}$) afford the corresponding C-9 hydroxylated aporphines $\text{9}$ and $\text{10}$. Possible biogenetic schemes for the formation of C-8, C-9-, and C-8,9-substituted aporphines are presented.