From the Street to the Laboratory: Analytical Profiles of Methoxetamine, 3-Methoxyeticyclidine and 3-Methoxyphencyclidine and their Determination in Three Biological Matrices

• Published in: Journal of analytical toxicology Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 277 - 283
• Main Authors: De Paoli, Giorgia, Brandt, Simon D., Wallach, Jason, Archer, Roland P., Pounder, Derrick J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.06.2013
• Subjects: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cyclohexanones - analysis; Cyclohexylamines - analysis; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hallucinogens - analysis; Humans; Phencyclidine - analysis; Phencyclidine Abuse - diagnosis; Reproducibility of Results; Street Drugs - analysis; Substance Abuse Detection - methods; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
• ISSN: 0146-4760; 1945-2403
• DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkt023

Three psychoactive arylcyclohexylamines, advertised as "research chemicals," were obtained from an online retailer and characterized by gas chromatography ion trap electron and chemical ionization mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diode array detection. The three phencyclidines were identified as 2-(ethylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanone (methoxetamine), N-ethyl-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanamine and 1-[1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine. A qualitative/quantitative method of analysis was developed and validated using liquid chromatography (HPLC) electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and ultraviolet (UV) detection for the determination of these compounds in blood, urine and vitreous humor. HPLC-UV proved to be a robust, accurate and precise method for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of these substances in biological fluids (0.16-5.0 mg/L), whereas the mass spectrometer was useful as a confirmatory tool.