I am sure Rhodium would not have put it up on his site if it had no merit and obvious errors.
How about the catalytic hydrogenation of phenylalanine to amphetamine that is on Rhodium's site. Does anybody really think that that works?
http://rhodium.lycaeum.org/chemistry/phenylalanine.txt (http://rhodium.lycaeum.org/chemistry/phenylalanine.txt)
Patent DE968545 (http://l2.espacenet.com/dips/viewer?PN=DE968545&CY=gb&LG=en&DB=EPD)
by Knoll AG from 1958 states that the by in postPost 68517 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=8096.msg6851700#msg6851700)
(serodronin: "Re: Catalytic Hydrogenation......", Stimulants) cited referenceKindler et al., The Mechanisms of Chemical Reactions. X. Preparation of Phenyl-and Cyclohexylalkylamines by Hydrogenation. Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem., 560, 215-21 (1948); C.A. 43: 1025g (1949).
is wrong as this will not work as described with H2SO4.
The patent further describes a ephedrine.HCl reduction with in GAA solved HCl and Pd sponge as catalyst. The catalyst/substrate ratio is insane. The procedure can be modified by using 10%Pd/BaSO4 or 10%Pd/C as catalyst in a much lower ratio and adding small amounts of 70% HClO4 (which has to be diluted in GAA before addition). With this modifications it is a very good yielding synth for clean substrates.
ORG
Chem. Ber. 75, 1850-1859 (1942) (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/pdf/ephedrine.hydrogenation.rosenmund.pdf)
(https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/pdf/ephedrine.hydrogenation.rosenmund.pdf)Post 71342 (missing)
(serodronin: "Preparation of B-arylalkylamines", Methods Discourse) (Contains english abstract of this article)Post 269642 (missing)
(MethKat: "paladium ingot", Stimulants)Ann. Chem. 560, 215-221 (1948) (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/pdf/ephedrine.hydrogenation.kindler.pdf)
(https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/pdf/ephedrine.hydrogenation.kindler.pdf)Post 68517 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=8096.msg6851700#msg6851700)
(serodronin: "Re: Catalytic Hydrogenation......", Stimulants) (Contains english abstract of this article)Post 359515 (missing)
(Chicken: "This refernce", Stimulants)Post 392325 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=8096.msg39232500#msg39232500)
(Organikum: "for completeness", Stimulants)