Rapid Screening Method for New Psychoactive Substances of Forensic Interest: Electrochemistry and Analytical Determination of Phenethylamines Derivatives (NBOMe) via Cyclic and Differential Pulse Voltammetry.

NBOMe derivatives are phenethylamines related to the 2C class of hallucinogens. Few human pharmacologic studies exist, but several intoxication cases and deaths have been reported. These compounds are not part of routine drug screening for many police forces, and no rapid immunoassay tests can detect them. For the first time, the voltammetric behavior of 25B-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe was investigated, and their electroanalytical characteristics were determined. A novel, fast, and sensitive screening method was developed to identify these two most common NBOMes in real samples. The method uses electrochemical oxidation to produce an analytical signal related to concentration, with an average lower limit of quantitation of 0.01 mg/mL for both. It is selective enough to identify each compound individually despite their structural similarity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The NBOMe derivatives are phenethylamines derived from the 2C class of hallucinogens. Only a few human pharmacologic studies have been conducted on these drugs, and several cases of intoxication and deaths have been reported. Presently, NBOMe are not a part of the routine drugs-of-abuse screening procedure for many police forces, and there are no rapid immunoassay screening tests that can detect the presence of those compounds. In this Article, the voltammetric behavior of 25B NBOMe and 25I NBOMe were investigated and their electroanalytical characteristics determined for the first time. A novel, fast, and sensitive screening method for the identification of the two most common NBOMes (25B-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe) in real samples is reported. The method uses the electrochemical oxidation of these molecules to produce an analytical signal that can be related to the NBOMe concentration with an average lower limit of quantitation of 0.01 mg/mL for both of them. The method is selective enough to identify the two compounds individually, even given the great similarity in their structure.