Abstract
Illicit substances found in blotter papers and tablets seized by police are traditionally identified and characterized from extracts of these materials. However, the procedures involved in extraction stages can result in artifacts and even contamination of the samples to be analyzed. On the other hand, high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) is a technique that requires no pretreatment steps, enabling direct analysis of the material, including the analysis of new illegal synthetic psychoactive substances. This study presents and discusses applications of the HR-MAS NMR in the analysis of tablets and blotter papers seized. Additional analysis in solution of the extracts of these materials was performed to compare the obtained spectral resolution signals. The results demonstrated that the HR-MAS NMR allowed the rapid identification of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (methylone), 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine (DOB) and 2-(4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]ethanamine (25B-NBOMe) in samples of tablets and blotter papers seized in Goias State, Brazil.
Highlights
The term “designer drugs” has been used to describe modifications in the chemical structure of illicit psychoactive substances to create new substances with similar psychoactive effects, but which have not yet been added in controlled substances list, specific for each country
The present study describes the use of 1H high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses for unprocessed heterogeneous materials, aiming to identify illicit substances in samples of blotter papers and tablets seized by police department in Goiás State, Brazil
The NMR spectra obtained for blotter papers using unprocessed or extracted samples are very similar, presenting the same signal patterns and chemical shifts (Figure 4)
Summary
The term “designer drugs” has been used to describe modifications in the chemical structure of illicit psychoactive substances to create new substances with similar psychoactive effects, but which have not yet been added in controlled substances list, specific for each country. HR-MAS NMR for Rapid Identification of Illicit Substances in Tablets and Blotter Papers The present study describes the use of 1H HR-MAS NMR analyses for unprocessed heterogeneous materials (without any preliminary treatment), aiming to identify illicit substances in samples of blotter papers and tablets seized by police department in Goiás State, Brazil. The NMR spectra obtained for blotter papers using unprocessed or extracted samples are very similar, presenting the same signal patterns and chemical shifts (Figure 4).
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