title: Analysis of psychoactive cathinones and tryptamines by electrospray ionization atmospheric pressure ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: The ability to use positive ion monitoring mode with an atmospheric pressure ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometer (APIM(tof)MS) to detect psychoactive cathinones and tryptamines from aqueous phase samples was evaluated. The study used a traditional electrospray ionization (ESI) source for sample introduction and ionization. A total of four cathinones (mephedrone, butylone, 4-Me-PPP, and 4-MEC) and five tryptamines (5-EtO-DPT, 5-EtO-DALT, 5-EtO-MIPT, 5-EtO-ALCHT, and 5-EtO-2MALET) were investigated, and we report on parent ions, collision induced dissociation (CID) fragment ions, reduced mobility (Ko), mass flight times, and detection limits obtained from a single instrument run for the psychoactive substances. Detection limits reported ranged from 3 to 11 μM concentration for the compounds studied. This detection limit range corresponded to 1-5 ng of material needed for improved detection on the instrument. This article demonstrates that it was possible to use a single instrument platform for the separation, detection, and identification of cathinones and tryptamines in less than 1 min. The application holds great promise for detecting and identifying a new class of drugs often referred to as "bath salts" or "legal highs" distributed over the Internet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Winston-Salem State University , Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27110, United States.
authors.forename: A Bakarr
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kanu
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Mike D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Herbert H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000032:analysis*; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D015198:Designer Drugs; D014363:Tryptamines; C023665:cathinone