TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst: The metal catalyst is selected from palladium, palladium acetate, palladium chloride, palladium chloride phosphine, palladium bromide, bis(dibenzylideneacetone)palladium, tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium, palladium tetrakis triphenylphosphine, copper, iron, ruthenium, cobalt, rhodium, indium, nickel, platinum, germanium, tin, osmium, silver, gold, and lead (preferably osmium, copper, silver, gold, or lead). The palladium catalyst is palladium acetate. The catalyst is present in the range of 0.01-1.2 (preferably 0.01-0.5, especially 0.2) equivalents.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: In method (M1), the reaction takes place in the presence of at least one solvent. Preferred Components: The N-methylated heterocycle substrate is selected from compounds of formulae (I)-(III). The N-methylated heterocycle is selected from a morphine alkaloid, and/or tropane alkaloid. The tropane alkaloid and its derivative is selected from tropinone, tropane, tropine, atropine, cocaine and other bicyclo-(3.2.1)-azabicyclic methylamines. The acylating agent is of formula (R)(R1)(R2)-Y1-C(O)-Z1-C(O)-X-(R')(R'1)(R'2). The acylating agent is an anhydride in which Y1 is C, Z1 is O, and X is C, and has a compound of formula (R)(R1)(R2)-C-C(O)-O-C(O)-C-(R')(R'1)(R'2); a dicarbonate in which Y1 is CO, Z1 is O, and X is CO, and has a compound of formula (R)(R1)(R2)-C-O-C(O)-O-C(O)-O-C-(R')(R'1)(R'2); and a dicarbamic anhydride in which Y1 is N, Z1 is O, and X is N, and has a compound of formula (R)(R1)-N-C(O)-O-C(O)-N-(R')(R'1). The anhydride is selected from acetic anhydride, iso-butyric anhydride, n-propanoic anhydride, decanoic anhydride, dodecanoic anhydride, cyclopropylcarbonyl anhydride, cyclobutylcarbonyl anhydride, anhydrides derived from carboxylic acids 1-19C and their mixed anhydrides (preferably acetic anhydride). The dicarbonate is a mixed carbonate derivative of 1-19C alcohols; and is selected from dimethyl dicarbonate, di-tert-amyl dicarbonate, di-tert-butyl dicarbonate, diallyl pyrocarbonate, dibenzyl dicarbonate, diethyl pyrocarbonate, dimethyl dicarbonate, erythritol bis(carbonate) and mixed carbonates (preferably dimethyl dicarbonate or di-tert-butyl dicarbonate). The dicarbamic anhydride is selected from N,N'-dimethylcarbamic anhydride, N,N'-diethylcarbamic anhydride, diphenylcarbamic acid anhydride, N,N'-diphenylcarbonic acid anhydride, N,N'-diphenyldicarbonic diamide, N,N'-(oxydicarbonyl)bisglycine dimethylester, and/or pyrrole-1-carboxylic anhydride. The solvent is selected from water, benzene, dioxane, toluene, and/or lower (1-4C) alcohols (preferably dioxane).E1=H, CH3, COR, or COOR;G1=O, OH, OR, OCR, or OCOR;J1=OH, OR, OCR, or OCOR;X and Y1=C, CH, CH2, CF2, N, NR, O, S, SO, or SO2;R, R1, R2, R', R'1, R'2=H, SR, OR, SiRR1R2, NR1R2, Br, Cl, F, CF3, 1-19C, CHO, COR, COOR, aryl, heterocycle;andZ1=O, N, or S.Preferred Compound: The morphine derivative is selected from compounds of formulae (I'A)-(I'C). SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - 5 Compounds are specifically claimed as norhydrocodone derivative i.e. N-acetyl-N-norhydrocodone of (Ia); N-iso-butyryl-N-demethylhydrocodone; N-n-propionyl-N-demethylhydrocodone; N-n-decanoyl-N-demethylhydrocodone; and N-n-dodecanoyl-N-demethylhydrocodone.    EXAMPLE - Hydrocodone (0.1 mmol) was dissolved in acetic anhydride (1 ml), and then palladium acetate (0.01 mmol) was added in the presence of dried dioxane and acetoxy. The reaction was heated at 80 degrees C for 15 hours, cooled to room temperature and passed through a plug of silica using chloroform:methanol:sodium hydroxide (80:20:1) as eluent. The volatiles were removed in-vacuo, and the residue suspended in sodium bicarbonate. The aqueous phase was extracted with chloroform, and the combined organic extracts washed with 1M hydrochloric acid and brine before drying over magnesium sulphate, filtered and the volatiles removed in-vacuo to obtain N-acetyl-N-norhydrocodone (Ia) (yield 80%).