Do you mean this post.....
Post 506443 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=11509.msg50644300#msg50644300)
(xxxxx: "protonation of copper glycinate", Novel Discourse)
but you see that takes me in a completely new direction. I will have to look at it see if it has it's merits, thanks for the the tip....java
sorry, i merely wanted to point out that a route exists from phenylalanine to phenylacetaldehyde via bleach to the imine with methylamine and finishing with a methyl grignard, which achieves the meth. Yields? buggers me. Anybee know?
Is the methyl grignard reagent made how i suspect - methiodide plus magnesium turnings? It occurred to me that the stim-bees would be able to make methiodide using a RP/I rxn with methanol. One must have glass for distilling and refluxing when going this route, but that's well worth it anyway.
I think this little scheme would make a great first introduction to all the basic types of processes involved in much of the more interesting syntheses. Oxidation reaction, iodination, grignard, amine depolymerisation, distillation. All fairly basic, a step up from the rp/i and giving some good grounding in the basics. It is unlikely that phenylalanine is going to be off the shelves any time soon so it seems a good small scale method that doesn't require entering a pharmacy to purchase an increasingly adulterated precursor.
edit:
Post 531180 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=8122.msg53118000#msg53118000)
(Kinetic: "Strecker Degradation", Stimulants)
kinetic seems to think that phenylacetaldehyde would be the result of oxidising phenylalanine in the same way as the alphamethyl phenylalanine becomes p2p.
What would be the result of applying the methyl grignard to the phenylalanine - or would it's low solubility make it unworkable? If some way can be found to put on the alpha methyl first one simply decarboxlates for amphetamine or oxidise to p2p and aminate with methylamine for meth - or formylate and reduce the amphetamine. I can't think of any way that would do it but I am only a hobby chemist.
psi0nic: I commend you at least for experimenting. Let me give you some quick advice.
phenylalanine, C6H5-CH2-CH(-NH2)-COOH will oxidise in the benzylic position. C6H5-CH2-
benzaldehyde, C6H5-CHO will further oxidise to benzoic acid, C6H5-COOH
I rated your earlier post as misinforming for these comments... "The phenylacetaldehyde is easy to make from phenylalanine via oxidation. Magnesium from pencil sharpeners".
phenylacetaldehyde is easily made from styrene via the oxirane or glycol rearrangement.
Styrene Oxide http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv1p0494 (http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv1p0494)
http://themerckindex.cambridgesoft.com/TheMerckIndex/NameReactions/ONR384.htm (http://themerckindex.cambridgesoft.com/TheMerckIndex/NameReactions/ONR384.htm)
Interaction of an a-amino acid with a carbonyl compound in aqueous solution or suspension to give carbon dioxide and an aldehyde or ketone containing one less carbon atom. Inorganic oxidizing agents can also be used to bring about the reaction:
(https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/hive/hiveboard/picproxie_docs/000459300-file_ndba.gif)
And... The strecker degradation of amino acids starts with N-chlorination by the hypochlorite ion:
R-NH2 + OCl- => R-NH-Cl => imine => aldehyde.
It is very important to get the ratio's of amino acid to hypochlorite correct. The phenylacetaldehyde will further oxidise to benzaldehyde or benzoic acid.
Powerful oxidising agents like KMNO4 will react via the strecker degradation of phenylalanine, BUT also attack the benzylic -CH2- on the phenylalanine.
Example. phenylalanine =[KMNO4]=> C6H5CHO + H2C=O + NH2 + CO2
A. Oxidation of Alkyl Side-ChainsĀ http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtualText/benzrx2.htm (http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtualText/benzrx2.htm)
The benzylic hydrogens of alkyl substituents on a benzene ring are activated toward free radical attack, as noted earlier. Furthermore, SN1, SN2 and E1 reactions of benzylic halides, show enhanced reactivity, due to the adjacent aromatic ring. The possibility that these observations reflect a general benzylic activation is supported by the susceptability of alkyl side-chains to oxidative degradation, as shown in the following examples (the oxidized side chain is colored). Such oxidations are normally effected by hot acidic pemanganate solutions, but for large scale industrial operations catalysed air-oxidations are preferred.
Bond Dissociation Energy and Radical Stability
http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtualText/funcrx1.htm#radical1 (http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtualText/funcrx1.htm#radical1)