indanylmethamphetamine revisited

[neuromodulator]

PrimoPyro's "ephedrine to MDMA possibility" post inspired the idea for this post while I was driving home from work at the pharmaceutical plant today.

What would happen if you treated methamphetamine (which I hate) with 1,3-dichloropropane and two equivalents of AlCl3 to yield indanylmethamphetamine (which I think I will love)?  Alternatively, could you react it with 1,3-dibromopropane and FeBr3?

The energetics for the formation of an indan ring are there, but my main question for Rhodium is does methamphetamine's nitrogen need protecting?

"I'm not the only one believing there's an easier way?"--The Stone Roses

[Rhodium]

The nitrogen would DEFINITELY need protection. Besides, indanes cannot be made in good yields by the friedel-crafts alkylation of benzene rings, you would end up with a 1,3-diphenylpropane derivative. Indanes are usually made by the intramolecular friedel-crafts acylation of a phenylpropionyl chloride, followed by reduction of the carbonyl group, or by the hydrogenation of the corresponding indene.

[neuromodulator]

Oops, it sounds like I'd better go work on my graduate school applications.

[Acme]

Howzabout formylating indane with the Blanc reaction or something of the sort.