GC-MS, GC-MS/MS and GC-IR differentiation of desoxy cathinone derivatives: Cyclic tertiary amines related to MDPV.

The desoxy phenethylamine analogues in this study represent a combination of alkyl side-chain and cyclic amines (azetidine, pyrrolidine, piperidine and azepane) to yield a set of molecules of identical elemental composition as well as major mass spectral fragment ions (base peaks) of identical elemental composition. These desoxy phenethylamine analogues of the aminoketone designer drug, 3,4-methylenedioxy-pyrrovalerone (MDPV) related to the natural product cathinone were prepared from piperonal (3,4-methylenedioxybenzaldehyde) via the intermediate precursor ketones. The aminoketones and the desoxy phenethylamine regioisomers were each separated in capillary gas chromatography experiments using an Rxi®-17Sil MS stationary phase with the aminoketones showing greater retention than the corresponding desoxyamines.