A Sustainable Microextraction of Hallucinogenic New Psychoactive Substances for Clinical and Forensic Applications
E. Kostić, A. Catić-Đorđević, Ivana Nešić, A. Antović, Snežana Đorđević, Miodrag Zdravković, M. Đukić, Maja Vujović
Applied Sciences December 8, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/app152412927 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA sustainable microextraction method using hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) was developed to extract four synthetic hallucinogenic phenethylamines (2C-B, 25B-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, and 25I-NBOMe) from urine samples. Among nine NADESs tested, a 1:1 molar ratio of menthol and decanoic acid provided the best extraction efficiency. Optimal conditions—pH 12, vortex time 20 seconds, vortex speed 30,000 rpm, and centrifugation at 14,000 rpm for 3 minutes—yielded the highest recoveries. The method's greenness and sustainability, evaluated with several tools, showed advantages over existing approaches, making it suitable for clinical and forensic toxicology.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Method development and optimization Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Chemistry Environmental science Medicine |
| Key finding | A menthol–decanoic acid (1:1 molar ratio) NADES-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method effectively extracts four synthetic hallucinogenic phenethylamines from urine samples under optimized conditions. |
Abstract
The application of Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) principles in method development aims to reduce waste and replace hazardous solvents with environmentally friendly alternatives. Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs) have recently emerged as sustainable replacements for traditional organic solvents. In this study, hydrophobic NADESs were used in dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) to extract four synthetic hallucinogenic phenethylamines (2C-B, 25B-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, and 25I-NBOMe) in urine samples. Nine NADESs were formed using menthol and different organic acids, with menthol–decanoic acid (1:1 molar ratio) providing the best extraction efficiency. A fractional factorial design identified pH, vortex speed, and vortex time as key factors, which were then optimized using a Box–Behnken design. The statistical model showed strong validity and high predictive power, and the optimal conditions (pH 12, vortex time 20 s, vortex speed 30,000 rpm, centrifugation at 14,000 rpm for 3 min) resulted in the highest recoveries. Greenness and operational sustainability, evaluated using ComplexGAPI, AGREEprep, BAGI, and SPRS tools, revealed clear advantages over existing extraction approaches. Overall, the proposed method represents a sustainable, white-chemistry–driven microextraction strategy suitable for clinical and forensic toxicological applications.