title: [Determination of the synthetic route based on impurity profiling of methamphetamine].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Impurity profiling of seized methamphetamine may play an important role in the determination of the synthetic method employed and the criminal investigations of drug traffic routes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of methamphetamine was dissolved in buffer solution. Impurities were extracted with ethyl acetate containing four internal standards (n-decane, n-pentadecane, n-eicosane and n-octacosane) and analyzed by GC-MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  These data are suggestive of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine as the main precursor of the methamphetamine samples seized during 2006-2007. Six samples of selected eight samples were synthesized via the more specific ephedrine/hydriodic acid/red phosphorus method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ephedrine/pseudoephedrine is common material used to synthesize methamphetamine.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Medical examination Center of Beijing Public Security Bureau, Beijing 100085, China. zhangjianxin7292000@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Daming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Shiyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004340:Drug Contamination; D004809:Ephedrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D054199:Pseudoephedrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008694:Methamphetamine; D054199:Pseudoephedrine; D004809:Ephedrine