Federico Guidugli

Ion trap mass spectrometry for the characterization of N‐methyl‐1‐(3,4‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2‐butanamine and N‐ethyl‐3,4‐methylenedioxyamphetamine, two widely distributed street drugs

The potential of ion trap mass spectrometry has been evaluated for the characterization and distinction of two isomeric amphetamines drugs, namely N-methyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-butanamine and N-ethyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine. Whereas the electron impact spectra of the two molecules lack specificity, collisional experiments on the ionic species at m/z 72 allows unequivocal distinction between the two isomers. Analogous results are achieved by positive ion chemical ionization and collisional experiments on the protonated molecules. All the different approaches have been successfully applied to the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of a tablet of illicit drug.

Mass Spectral Studies of Methoxynaphthoflavones

The electron impact induced fragmentations of seven methoxynaphthoflavones have been studied with the aid of low- and high-resolution measurements, metastable decompositions and isotope labelling using carbon-13 atoms. The retro Diels-Alder cleavage of the methoxynaphthoflavones is strongly influenced by the substituent position providing in most cases intact A- and B-ring fragments. The intensity ratio of these ring fragments appears to be very sensitive to the charge distribution within the parent ion. Copyright -Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.