The reduction of 14beta-nitrocodeinone dimethylketal (I) with AlCl3-Zn and ammonium chloride in refluxing methanol gives 14beta-aminocodeinone dimethylketal (II), which is acylated with pentanoyl chloride and triethylamine in hot chloroform yielding 14beta-(pentanoylamino)codeinone dimethylketal (III). The reduction of (III) with LiAlH4 in THF affords 14beta-(pentylamino)codeinone (IV), which is finally demethylated by treatment with boron trichloride in methylene chloride at -30 C.