U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

GC-MS Studies on the Regioisomeric Methoxy-Methyl-Phenethylamines Related to MDEA MDMMA and MBDB

NCJ Number
255295
Journal
Journal of Chromatographic Science Volume: 46 Issue: 10 Dated: 2008 Pages: 900-906
Author(s)
Ashley L. Thigpen; Tamer. Awad; Jack DeRuiter; C R. Clark
Date Published
2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation

This project focused on the synthesis, mass spectral characterization, and chromatographic analysis of six regioisomeric methoxy methyl phenethylamines, and the mass spectral and chromatographic properties of these compounds were compared to the isobaric 2,3- and 3,4-methylenedioxyphenethyl-amines of the same side chain.

Abstract

Three regioisomeric 3,4-methylenedioxyphenethylamines having the same molecular weight and major mass spectral fragments of equal mass have been reported as drugs of abuse in forensic studies in recent years. These compounds are 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (MDEA), 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-N-dimethylamphetamine (MDMMA), and N-methyl-1-(3,4- methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-butanamine (MBDB). The mass spectra of the regioisomers (4-methoxy-3-methyl and 4-methoxy-2-methyl-phenethylamines) are essentially equivalent to the three compounds reported as drugs of abuse. The six regioisomeric methoxy-methylphenethylamines were synthesized from commercially available starting materials. Side chain differentiation by mass spectrometry was possible after the formation of the perfluoroacyl derivatives, pentafluoropropionylamides (PFPA) and heptafluorobutrylamides (HFBA). Gas chromatographic separation on Rtx-1 was successful at resolving the perfluoroacyl derivatives of the 4-methoxy-3-methyl phenethylamines from those of the 4-methoxy-2-methyl phenethylamines. The 4-methoxy-3-methyl-phenethylamine derivatives eluted before the 4-methoxy-2-methyl-phenethylamine derivatives as both the PFPA and HFBA derivatives. (publisher abstract modified)