From one of my older posts:

DR PHARMA NOVA, LLC
Patent:   WO2006/91885 A2, 2006 ;
Location in patent: Page/Page column 51-52 ;

Single 2H labeled morphine can be prepared using a modification of the procedure described in Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1977, vol 20, 164-165. A solution of 2.99 g (10 mmol) of anyhydrous D2-Codiene O-3 in 25 ml of CHCh is to be added during 2 min to a well-stirred solution of 15 g (59.9 mmol) of BBn in 175 ml of CHC13 maintained in the range 23-26 degrees C. A 10 ml portion of CHCh, which is added to rinse the addition funnel, is added to the reaction mixture and stirring is continued for 15 min at 23-26 degrees C. The reaction mixture which will consist of a suspension of white solid (in CHCh) is then poured into a well-stirred mixture of 80 g EPO <DP n="53"/>of ice and 20 ml of concentrated (28-30percent NH3) NBUOH. The two-phase system is kept at -5 to 0 degrees C for 0.5 h (continuous stirring) and filtered. The resulting crystalline material is washed thoroughly with small portions of cold CHCIa and H2O and dried to give 2.67 g (88.1 percent) of slightly off-white MO-3 monohydrate.

And there would be two thing to suggest: the extraction from the pills pulls some other chemicals than the codeine or is it selective, so just the codeine will come out? And the other thing: drying of the codeine-CHCl3 extraction would be great, with some CaCl2 before adding the BBr3-chloroform solution, else way a big amount of the BBr3 would hydrolyze.

And other strong Lewis acids are also good the demethylate ethers, such as BCl3, AlCl3 ect. The only problem is, that most of these reagents not as good as BBr3 and they will react slower, or they require heating what could easily decrese the yield.

I'm definetly up for this.

Will try heating elemental B with Br2 and condensing the BBr3 in a ''OTC'' method, obviously taking care of the risks, how you guys think of this?

Regards!!