Halogenated solvent interactions with N,N-dimethyltryptamine: formation of quaternary ammonium salts and their artificially induced rearrangements during analysis.
Forensic science international July 4, 2008 Simon D Brandt, Cláudia P B Martins, Sally Freeman et al. 10 citations
DMT, a psychoactive compound, reacts with common laboratory solvents like dichloromethane (DCM) to form a quaternary ammonium salt, which can rearrange during analysis into products including 3-(2-chloroethyl)indole and 2-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline. This study extends these findings to other halogenated solvents—dibromomethane and 1,2-dichloroethane—characterizing the resulting derivatives. The DCE derivative produced at least six rearrangement products. Using deuterated compounds helped clarify the rearrangement mechanisms. These solvent-derived marker molecules could help identify which solvents were used in the manufacture of controlled substances, a factor often overlooked because solvents are assumed inert.