title: Regioisomeric differentiation of 2,3- and 3,4-methylenedioxy ring-substituted phenylalkylamines by gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
abstract: Numerous abused drugs of the 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA; Ecstasy; N-methyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propaneamine) type and various alkyl chain- and aromatic ring-substituted isomers give very similar electron ionization (EI) mass spectra. This seriously affects the analysis of especially ring regioisomeric drug variants. Using collision-induced dissociation (CID) (argon) under EI and chemical ionization, the mass spectra of 18 2,3- and 3, 4-methylenedioxy ring-substituted phenylethylamines were recorded. These techniques permitted an unequivocal differentiation of all studied ring regioisomeric methylenedioxyphenylethylamines. CID mass spectrometry therefore appear to be a reliable tool to establish the kind of ring substitution pattern in regioisomeric methylenedioxyphenalkylamines. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Pharmazeutisches Institut, Christian Albrechts Universitat Kiel, Gutenbergstrasse 76, D-24118 Kiel, Germany.
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borth
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hansel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Junge