Forensic science international
April 10, 2013
Dariusz Zuba, Karolina Sekuła, Agnieszka Buczek
128 citations
A new hallucinogenic substance, 25C-NBOMe, was identified in blotter papers seized from the drug market using multiple analytical methods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed a spectrum similar to other 25-NBOMe compounds, with dominant ions at m/z=150, 121, and 91. Derivatization helped determine the molecular mass, and liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) confirmed the exact molecular mass and chemical formula. MS/MS experiments showed the substance is an N-(2-methoxy)benzyl derivative of 2C-C. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) corroborated the identity, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provided final structural elucidation.
Drug testing and analysis
August 1, 2013
Dariusz Zuba, Karolina Sekuła
61 citations
Three new hallucinogenic substances—25D-NBOMe, 25E-NBOMe, and 25G-NBOMe—were identified in blotter papers seized from the drug market. These are N-(2-methoxy)benzyl derivatives of the 2C-series of phenethylamine drugs. A range of analytical methods, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance, unequivocally identified the active components. The GC-MS spectra showed very similar dominant ions at m/z = 150, 121, and 91, with other ions analogous to those of the parent 2C compounds but at low intensities. Derivatization helped determine molecular masses, and exact masses and chemical formulas were confirmed by LC-QTOF-MS. Tandem mass spectrometry confirmed the N-(2-methoxy)benzyl derivative structures, and NMR provided final structural elucidation. FTIR spectroscopy corroborated compound identities.
Forensic science international
October 10, 2012
Dariusz Zuba, Karolina Sekuła, Agnieszka Buczek
26 citations
A powder sample seized by Polish authorities in 2011 was identified as the hallucinogen 2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitro-β-phenethylamine (2C-N). Mass spectrometry confirmed its molecular mass, and gas chromatography and liquid chromatography produced characteristic ion patterns. Infrared spectroscopy showed two broad bands from the nitro group, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy unequivocally determined the molecular structure. The analytical approach proved effective for characterizing new designer drugs.
Drug testing and analysis
July 1, 2013
Dariusz Zuba, Karolina Sekuła
24 citations
A new designer drug, 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethyl-β-phenethylamine (2C-G), was identified in a powder sample seized in Poland in 2011. Mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to characterize the substance. Distinctive features in the gas chromatography-electron impact-mass spectrometry spectrum, such as an intense peak at m/z = 178 and differing intensities of ions at m/z = 165 and 180, allowed it to be distinguished from the similar compound 2C-E. Differences in ion intensities in liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry and a unique Fourier transform infrared spectrum with characteristic doublets at 993-1014 cm⁻¹ and 1099-1124 cm⁻¹ further aided identification. The analysis demonstrates that marketing analogues of controlled substances presents a significant analytical challenge, often requiring sophisticated methods for unequivocal identification.
Forensic science international
May 31, 2025
Paweł Stelmaszczyk, Ewa Markiel, Karolina Sekuła et al.
2 citations
A portable sensor system using screen-printed carbon electrodes and square wave voltammetry detects MDMA (ecstasy) in seized drugs. The method achieves a detection limit of 0.5 µM and a linear range of 2.5–50 µM, with high reproducibility, satisfactory precision (intra-day CV%: 2.1–7.1%; inter-day CV%: 5.4–6.3%), and excellent recovery rates (89–105%). Testing on authentic ecstasy samples gave results consistent with a reference UHPLC-DAD method. The system's manual fabrication, low cost, simplicity, and portability suggest strong potential for on-site forensic MDMA detection, even in resource-limited settings.