Identification and characterization of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitro-β-phenethylamine (2C-N)--a new member of 2C-series of designer drug.
Dariusz Zuba, Karolina Sekuła, Agnieszka Buczek
Forensic Science International October 10, 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.07.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Analytical chemistry study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | A seized powder sample containing 2C-N |
| Keywords | Drug characterization Designer drug identification Emerging substance identification Drug detection Analytical chemistry Advanced analytical techniques Chemical analysis Spectroscopic analysis Molecular structure determination Mass spectrometry Infrared spectroscopy Nmr spectroscopy Synthetic drugs Designer drugs Novel drugs New psychoactive substances Illicit drugs Emerging substances Forensic science Forensic chemistry Drug forensics Seized drug analysis |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key points | The seized powder was identified as 2C-N using mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. |
Abstract
The online sale of psychoactive substances, including hallucinogens, is becoming a serious problem in many countries. This paper presents and discusses the mass spectrometric, infrared spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitro-β-phenethylamine (2C-N), which was identified in a powder sample seized by the authorities in 2011 in Poland. The molecular mass of 2C-N (226.0954 amu) was confirmed in the LC/ESI-QTOFMS experiment. The molecular ion was also observed in the GC-EI/MS spectrum. A characteristic set of ions for the parent substance was found using both chromatographic methods, and when derivatization with trifuluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) was applied. Two broad dominant bands at 1520 cm(-1) and 1342/1322 cm(-1), observed in the FTIR spectrum of 2C-N, originated from the nitro group. NMR spectroscopy helped unequivocal elucidation of the structure. The applied identification procedure proved to be a powerful tool to determine the structure of a new designer drug.