Isotopic characterisation of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (ecstasy)
The Analyst May 14, 2002 James F. Carter, Emma L. Titterton, Martin Murray et al. 70 citations
Analyzing the ratios of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen isotopes (delta2H, delta13C, delta15N) in MDA and MDMA extracted from seized ecstasy tablets creates a distinct isotopic fingerprint for each batch. This fingerprint can link individual tablets to a common production batch. Combining these data with deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (2H NMR) analysis of the extracts may reveal information about the natural precursor materials and the synthetic pathways used to manufacture MDA and its N-substituted homologues.