Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Color Spot Test As a Presumptive Tool for the Rapid Detection of Synthetic Cathinones
Published on: February 5, 2018
Discrimination of cathinone regioisomers, sold as 'legal highs', by Raman spectroscopy
1Focas Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland; School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Abstract:
The discrimination of a cross section of cathinone regioisomers, sold as 'legal highs', using Raman spectroscopy, is reported here. Mephedrone and flephedrone were identified in 'legal high' products sold in Irish head shops, and their 2, 3 and 4-isomers were synthesized as reference standards. The 3,4-methylenedioxy substituted cathinones, methylone, butylone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), were also identified in 'legal highs' and their 2,3-isomers were synthesized for comparison. In addition, alpha- and beta-naphyrone were synthesized. Raman spectra of all the isomers were obtained using far-red excitation (785 nm) and it was found possible to discriminate the isomers of each substituted cathinone. In addition, Raman spectra were also recorded for a number of head shop products and, by comparison with the reference standards, correct isomer assignment for 4-mephedrone, 3-flephedrone, 3,4-methylone, 3,4-butylone, 3,4-MDPV, alpha-naphyrone and beta-naphyrone was achieved, thus providing a non-destructive, high-throughput and minimal sample preparation technique for the discrimination of such drug isomers.
Related Concept Videos
Raman Spectroscopy: Overview
However, a small fraction of the scattered light exhibits a frequency shift due to the exchange of energy between the incident photons and the...
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS)
Prochirality
¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Variable-Temperature NMR
NMR Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry of Aldehydes and Ketones
Stereoisomerism of Cyclic Compounds

