Published:Journal of Chromatographic Science,
ISSN 0021-9665Volume
44, Number 3, March 2006, pp. 155-161
Chromatographic and Mass Spectral Studies on Methoxymethcathinones
Related to 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Tamer Awad, C. Randall Clark, and Jack DeRuiter
Department of Pharmacal Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn,
AL 36849
The methoxymethcathinones are uniquely regioisomeric with the
controlled drug substance 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (3,4-MDMA) or Ecstacy.
The various isomeric forms of the methoxymethcathinones have mass spectra essentially
equivalent to 3,4-MDMA. They all have a molecular weight of 193 and major fragment
ions in their electron ionization mass spectra at m/z 58 and 135/136. Differentiation
by mass spectrometry was only possible after formation of the perfluoroacyl
derivatives, pentafluoropropionylamides (PFPA), and heptafluorobutrylamides
(HFBA). Gas chromatographic separation on nonpolar stationary phases successfully
resolved the three methcathinones from 2,3- and 3,4-MDMA as the PFPA and HFBA
derivatives.
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