ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 15

Differentiation of Side Chain Isomers of Ring-Substituted Amphetamines Using Gas Chromatography/Infrared/Mass Spectrometry (GC/IR/MS)
O'Neil, DJ
Drug Analysis Section, Division of Forensic Science, VA

Finley, H
Drug Analysis Section, Division of Forensic Science, VA

Lambert, R
Radford University, VA

Middleberg, R
Drug Analysis Section, Division of Forensic Science, VA

Soine, WH
Virginia Commonwealth University, VA

Duncan, W
Hewlett-Packard, Scientific Instruments Division, CA

(Received 9 March 1991; accepted 24 July 1991)

Abstract

Common analytical methods used for identifying samples obtained from clandestine laboratories were evaluated for their ability to differentiate between possible amphetamine isomers and homologs. A series of ring-substituted (4-methyl, 4-methoxy, and 3,4-methylenedioxy) amphetamine and N-methylphenethylamine isomers was analyzed using color tests, thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and GC/infrared (GC/IR). The N-acetyl derivatives of the isomers were analyzed using GC/IR/MS. GC/IR/MS readily differentiated the 4-methylphenylalkylamine isomers. MS and IR spectra were also obtained for each pair of the 4-methoxyphenylalkylamine isomers and the 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylalkylamine isomers, but differentiation via GC/IR/MS was difficult. The N-acetyl derivatives of each pair of isomers could be readily differentiated using GC/IR/MS. Good library researchable spectra for N-acetylamphetamine could be obtained for IR identification with 10 ng (on-column) and MS identification with 2 ng. The spectrometrically independent IR and MS data obtained for the N-acetyl derivatives indicated that the combination of GC/IR/MS can add a significant level of confidence in the analysis of ring-substituted arylalkylamines.

Keywords:
toxicology, amphetamine, chromatographic analysis, chemical analysis, isomers

Paper ID: JFS13259J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13259J
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