Studies on analgesic agents. 1.1a Preparation of 1,2-diphenyl-2-(4-substituted 1-piperazinyl)ethanol derivatives and structure-activity relationships.

The preparation and analgesic activity of a series of the title compounds (8-55 and 57) are described. The intermediates, 2-phenyl-2-(1-piperazinyl)acetophenones 5 and 6, were prepared from benzyl phenyl ketones 3 via their bromides 4. On reduction, compounds 5 afforded the titled compounds 8-12, 16, and 26-48. Compounds 13-15 and 17-25 were obtained by alkylation or benzylation of 1.2-diphenyl-2-(1-piperazinyl)ethanols 7 derived from 6 by reduction. The reduction of 5 and 6 with metal hydrides predominantly gave the erythro isomers. The erythro isomers were remarkably more active than their threo isomers. The more active members in this series of compounds were 16 and derivatives 35 and 37-44 of dl-erythro-1-phenyl-2-(substituted phenyl)-2-[4-(p-methoxybenzyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethanol. Compounds 16, 43, and 44 were the most active with a potency of about two to three times that of codeine. Racemates 16 and 38 were resolved into their optical isomers and it was found that (-)-16 and (+)-38 were more potent than their antipodes. Structure-activity relationship are discussed.