Username: Vitus_Verdegast
tryptamine + H2O <--Ni--> tryptophol + NH3
Dunno about this step, somehow I doubt its efficiency but if you could provide me with a ref, I'd be very happy to be proven wrong.
Can anyone find a reference? If not i can see a possible synth.. tryptophan + sugar --yeast--> tryptophol + ethanol.
The problem is the dimethylamine has such a low bp. what about a stainless steel bomb w/ dimethylamine, tryptophol and raney nick. in the oven? would the raney react with the vessle? if not, would the pressure affect the reaction? either way that might be the way to get around the DiMeAm-reflux-low boiling point problem.