Is the Akabori reaction to reach the feedstock for a HI reduction feasable?
Although there's the benzaldehyde aquisition problem. The reaction will also produce PPA in the mixture which reduces to a more toxic drug I think you said Rh.
The yields suck too. But someone has made an attempt, which was low yielding from methylalanine.
'According to Akabori and Momotani (269), a mixture of an aromatic aldehyde and an amino acid on heating yield alkamines. By means of this reaction, ephedrine and norephedrine were synthesized.'
Is there any authoritative details on the procedure? reaction times, temperature, pH and solvent choice? freebase or salt for phenylalanine? D only, D,L, or L outcomes? Reflux?
Are there any other aromatic aldehydes, more OTC have useful outcomes?