Methylating the alpha in Phenylalanine.....

[java]

What if the amino acid, Phenylalanine was methylated at the alpha position ......
            CH3  O
                 |   ||
C6H5-CH2-C-C-OH
                 |
                 NH2


then decarboxylated?  It would leave the Amphetamine.

So, is there a method to methylate the alpha carbon without polymerizing the amine? Actually if the amine got methylated it would be even better........java

[Rhodium]

This has been covered to great lenghts in the past...