N,N‐Diformylmescaline: A novel analogue of mescaline detected in Queensland
Ryan Gallagher, Maddison G. Mclaughlin, Karen Blakey, U.d. Wermuth, Sue E. Boyd, Jenny Mcgowan
Drug Testing and Analysis October 17, 2022 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3390 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Chemical synthesis and analytical study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mescaline |
| Keywords | Hydrochloric acid Prodrug Chromatography |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | N,N-diformylmescaline degrades in acidic and basic conditions to mescaline, suggesting it may function as a prodrug for mescaline. |
Abstract
Abstract N,N ‐Diformylmescaline, a novel analogue of mescaline, has recently been detected in Australia in two unrelated seizures. To confirm the identification, a three‐step synthesis from 3,4,5‐trimethoxyphenylacetic acid was devised. However, purification of the final product proved problematic with the compound prone to degradation in solution. Analysis of the compound by LC–MS indicated that the compound was unstable under acidic and basic conditions, breaking down to N ‐formylmescaline. Further degradation to mescaline was observed when the compound was dissolved in hydrochloric acid for an extended period of time suggesting that N , N ‐diformylmescaline may be a prodrug for mescaline. The GC–MS, NMR and FTIR data for the seized compound are presented along with details of the synthesis and studies of the compound's stability in solution.