Identification of 2-(ethylamino)-1- (4-methylphenyl)-1-pentanone (4-MEAP), a New “Legal High” Sold by an Internet Vendor as 4-Methyl Pentedrone

• Danielle Hamby ^[1] ; Annessa Burnett ^[1] ; Michael Jablonsky ^[1] ; Brendan Twamley ^[2] ; Pierce V. Kavanagh ^[3] ; Elizabeth A. Gardner,
  1. [1] University of Alabama at Birmingham

     University of Alabama at Birmingham

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Trinity College Dublin

     Trinity College Dublin

     Irlanda

     
  3. [3] St. James's Hospital Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics School of Medicine Trinity Centre for Health Sciences Dublin 8 Ireland

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• Localización: Journal of forensic sciences, ISSN-e 1556-4029, ISSN 0022-1198, Vol. 60, Nº. 3, 2015, págs. 721-726
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Online vendors are offering a new legal high, 4-methylpentedrone (4-MPD). Information for potential users provided by internet vendors of 4-MPD includes incorrect structures and nonexistent CAS numbers. A sample of 4-MPD was obtained and analyzed using GC-MS, NMR, and LC-EIS. The fragmentation data from the GC-MS and LC-EIS produced an M-1 ion that suggested the molecular mass was 219 amu, rather than 205 amu as calculated for 4-methylpentedrone. The difference in molecular mass corresponded to the addition of a methyl group. Based on the mass and fragmentation pattern, two standards were synthesized, 2-(ethylamino)-1-(4-methylphenyl)-1-pentanone and 1-(4-methylphenyl)-2-(propylamino)-1-butanone. The synthesis involved bromination of the appropriate ketone followed by the reaction with ethylamine or propylamine. Based on the NMR data and unique fragme ntation patterns produced by these molecules, the sample was identified as 2-(ethylamino)-1-(4-methylphenyl)-1-pentanone, not 4-methylpentedrone.