Stability studies of ALD-52 and its homologue 1P-LSD.
Shu-Hua Zhang, Angeline S Y Tang, Reenie S L Chin, Jia Ying Goh, Mei Ching Ong, Wendy J L Lim, Angeline T W Yap, Cheuk-Wai So
Journal of Forensic Sciences May 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15224 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | ethanol acetonitrile isopropyl alcohol ethyl acetate acetone |
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | 1p-LSD Ald-52 Concentration effect Solvent effect Thermal effect Psychedelics Chemical stability Lysergamides Analytical chemistry Degradation kinetics |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | Alcoholic solvents such as methanol and ethanol cause ALD-52 and 1P-LSD to hydrolyze to LSD during GC-MS analysis, while isopropyl alcohol prevents this conversion. |
Abstract
With the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) over the years, the substances detected on stamps (also known as blotter papers) have also evolved from the traditional drug-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to the multiple variants of lysergamides such as ALD-52 and 1P-LSD. The analysis of such blotter papers is usually done by solvent extraction followed by identification using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This study has shown that hydrolysis to form LSD was observed in GC-MS analysis when ALD-52 was extracted with methanol. The extraction of ALD-52 using other solvents such as acetonitrile, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, and acetone, followed by GC-MS analysis, was investigated. It is shown that alcoholic solvents such as methanol and ethanol will result in the conversion of ALD-52 to LSD during GC-MS analysis, whereas the sterically hindered isopropyl alcohol will prevent this conversion. Investigation also shows that the hydrolysis of ALD-52 to LSD occurs at the GC injector port. It was also observed that the degree of hydrolysis was more pronounced at a lower concentration (0.1 mg/mL). The study was extended to a close analog-1P-LSD, and the results showed that 1P-LSD similarly hydrolyzes to LSD. However, 1P-LSD was observed to be more stable than ALD-52 due to steric hindrance because of the propanoyl group.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Human participants | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Crystal structure of an LSD-bound human serotonin receptor | 2017 | Experimental study with structural biology and molecular dynamics simulations | |
| Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Sensitive Neuronal Units in the Midbrain Raphe Midbrain neurons containing serotonin | 1968 | Experimental study | |
| Connectome-harmonic decomposition of human brain activity reveals dynamical repertoire re-organization under LSD. Human brain | 2017 | Experimental study | |
| LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer Cancer patients | 1973 | Experimental study | n = 60 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Analytical and behavioral characterization of 1-dodecanoyl-LSD (1DD-LSD). Drug Testing and Analysis 2025
- The use of prodrugs as drugs of abuse Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Forensic Science March 19, 2024
- The toxicity of psychedelic LSD derivatives: 1-acetyl-LSD (ALD-52), 1-propionyl-LSD (1P-LSD), 1-butyryl-LSD (1B-LSD), 1-valeryl-LSD (1V-LSD) and 1-cyclopropylmethanoyl-LSD (1cP-LSD)-prediction of toxicological parameters relevant to clinical and forensic toxicology using multi-in silico approach. Archives of Toxicology July 1, 2026
Cites 9
- Return of the lysergamides. Part I: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1‐propionyl‐d‐lysergic acid diethylamide (1P‐LSD) Drug Testing and Analysis October 12, 2015
- Return of the lysergamides. Part V: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1‐butanoyl‐d‐lysergic acid diethylamide (1B‐LSD) Drug Testing and Analysis May 13, 2019
- Return of the lysergamides. Part II: Analytical and behavioural characterization of N6-allyl-6-norlysergic acid diethylamide (AL-LAD) and (2’S,4’S)-lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ) Drug Testing and Analysis June 6, 2016
- Return of the lysergamides. Part IV: Analytical and pharmacological characterization of lysergic acid morpholide (LSM‐775) Drug Testing and Analysis June 5, 2017
- Return of the lysergamides. Part III: Analytical characterization of N6-ethyl-6-norlysergic acid diethylamide (ETH-LAD) and 1-propionyl ETH-LAD (1P–ETH-LAD) Drug Testing and Analysis May 10, 2017
and 4 more in the library