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Updated: Jun 30, 2025
Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs
Published on: November 8, 2024
Synthesis, structural characterization, analytical profiling, and application to authentic samples of synthesized
Rui-Jia Chen1,2, Zi-Hua Zhang1,2, Shenglan Yang3
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Shanghai Research Institute of Criminal Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
5F-MDMB-PICA, an indole-type synthetic cannabinoid (SC), was classified illicit globally in 2020. Although the extensive metabolism of 5F-MDMB-PICA in the human body warrants the development of robust analytical methods for metabolite detection and quantification, a current lack of reference standards for characteristic metabolites hinders such method creation. This work described the synthesis of 18 reference standards for 5F-MDMB-PICA and its possible Phase I metabolites, including three hydroxylated positional isomers R14 to R16. All the compounds were systematic characterized via nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Furthermore, two methods were developed for the simultaneous detection of all standards using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. By comparison with authentic samples, R17 was identified as a suitable urine biomarker for 5F-MDMB-PICA uptake.
