Detection of the synthetic cathinone N,N-dimethylpentylone in seized samples from prisons

• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112145
• Publication Date: 2024-07-09T17:06:38Z
• Authors: Caitlyn Norman; Hannes Max Schwelm; Olga Semenova; Robert Reid; Victoria Marland; Niamh Nic Daéid
• Keywords: Cathinone; Synthetic cannabinoids; MDMA; Ecstasy; Designer drug; Mephedrone; Forensic Toxicology; Accelerator mass spectrometry; Illicit drug

Drug use is prevalent in prisons with drugs associated depressant effects found to be more than stimulants. Synthetic cathinones (SCats; often sold as "bath salts", "ecstasy", "molly", and "monkey dust") are the second largest category of new psychoactive substances (NPS) currently monitored by European Monitoring Centre for Drugs Addiction (EMCDDA) commonly used substitutes regulated stimulants, such amphetamine, cocaine, MDMA. N,N-dimethylpentylone (also known dimethylpentylone, dipentylone, bk-DMBDP) was detected first time Scottish seven powder samples seized between January July 2023. Samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole flight mass (UPLC-QToF-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR). Dimethylpentylone alongside other four samples, including novel benzodiazepine desalkylgidazepam (bromonordiazepam) synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) MDMB-INACA MDMB-4en-PINACA.