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Open Access 01-07-2019 | Original Article
Identification and structural characterization of synthetic cathinones: N-propylcathinone, 2,4-dimethylmethcathinone, 2,4-dimethylethcathinone, 2,4-dimethyl-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone, 4-bromo-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone, 1-(2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)hexan-1-one and 2,4-dimethylisocathinone
Published in: Forensic Toxicology | Issue 2/2019
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Purpose
Seven synthetic cathinone derivatives detected in samples seized in Poland from clandestine laboratories: N-propylcathinone, 2,4-dimethylmethcathinone (2,4-DMMC), 2,4-dimethylethcathinone (2,4-DMEC), 2,4-dimethyl-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (2,4-DMPPP) and 2,4-dimethylisocathinone (4-iso-DMC), collected from smartshops: 4-bromo-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (4-Br-PPP) or received from an attorney 1-(2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)hexan-1-one (5-BPDi) were identified and analytically characterized.
Methods
Unequivocal identification of seven cathinones was performed using liquid chromatography–high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry with a quadrupole time-of-flight analyzer, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Results
In this study, we reported the detection and structure elucidation of seven substituted cathinones: N-propylcathinone, 2,4-DMMC, 2,4-DMEC, 2,4-DMPPP, 4-Br-PPP, 5-BPDi and 2,4-iso-DMC.
Conclusions
New derivatives of cathinone still appear on the market, mainly due to their legal status. This situation clearly indicates and alarms that permanent recognition of the designer drug market should be conducted. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive report to fully characterize these cathinones; however, some analytical data have been published recently.