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GC-MS Analysis of the Regioisomeric Methoxy- and Methyl-Benzoyl-1-Pentylindoles: Isomeric Synthetic Cannabinoids

NCJ Number
251316
Journal
Science & Justice Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2016 Pages: 291-298
Author(s)
K. M. Abdel-Hay; J. DeRuiter; F. Smith; T. S. Belal; C. R. Clark
Date Published
September 2016
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The analytical properties and methods of regioisomeric differentiation were developed in this study.
Abstract

The six regioisomeric 1-pentyl-3-dimethoxybenzoylindoles can be differentiated by a combination of EI-MS and FT-IR spectra. The six regioisomeric 1-n-pentyl-3-(dimethoxybenzoyl)-indoles represent potential designer modifications in the synthetic cannabinoid drug category. The base peaks in these six spectra allow these compounds to be subdivided into three groups of two compounds each, the m/z 334 ion is the base peak for the 2,4- and 2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl isomers (compounds 2 and 4), the 2,3- and 2,5-dimethoxybenzoylindole isomers (compounds 1 and 3) show the m/z 200 ion of base peak intensity, and the 3,4- and 3,5-isomers (compounds 5 and 6) show the molecular ion as the base peak, m/z 351. In the current study, this set of regioisomeric compounds was well resolved by capillary gas chromatography on a dimethylpolysiloxane stationary phase. The elution order appears related to the degree of substituent crowding in the dimethoxybenzoyl group. FTIR spectra provide useful data for differentiation among these regioisomeric compounds. Infrared absorption spectral data provide distinguishing and characteristic information to individualize the regioisomers in this set of compounds. (Publisher abstract modified)