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The naphyrone story: The Alpha or Beta‐naphthyl Isomer?
Author(s) -
Brandt Simon D.,
Wootton Robert C. R.,
De Paoli Giorgia,
Freeman Sally
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
drug testing and analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.065
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1942-7611
pISSN - 1942-7603
DOI - 10.1002/dta.185
Subject(s) - mass spectrometry , characterization (materials science) , alpha (finance) , chemistry , political science , chromatography , nanotechnology , law , materials science , health care , cronbach's alpha
Abstract Naphyrone (naphthylpyrovalerone, O‐2482) has been recently advertised for purchase on a number of websites. This compound has been viewed as a so‐called ‘legal high’ and was classified as a controlled drug under the UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in mid‐July 2010. So far, naphyrone is commonly equated with 1‐naphthalen‐ 2 ‐yl‐2‐pyrrolidin‐1‐yl‐pentan‐1‐one (β‐naphyrone) but analytical characterization of two naphyrone samples revealed the existence of a novel isomer consistent with 1‐naphthalen‐ 1 ‐yl‐2‐pyrrolidin‐1‐yl‐pentan‐1‐one (α‐naphyrone). Analyses of both α‐ and β‐naphyrone were carried out using gas chromatography ion trap (EI/CI) mass spectrometry and 1D/2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This provides the first report of α‐naphyrone in the scientific literature and the ability to differentiate it from the β‐isomer should be of interest to forensic and clinical communities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.