2. Academic Validation
  3. N,N-Diformylmescaline: A novel analogue of mescaline detected in Queensland

N,N-Diformylmescaline: A novel analogue of mescaline detected in Queensland

  • Drug Test Anal. 2023 Feb;15(2):204-212. doi: 10.1002/dta.3390.
Ryan Gallagher 1,  Maddison G McLaughlin 1,  Karen Blakey 1,  Urs D Wermuth 1,  Sue Boyd 2,  Jenny McGowan 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services (QHFSS), Brisbane, Australia.
  • 2 School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
PMID: 36245421 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3390
Abstract

N,N-Diformylmescaline, a novel analogue of mescaline, has recently been detected in Australia in two unrelated seizures. To confirm the identification, a three-step synthesis from 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacetic acid was devised. However, purification of the final product proved problematic with the compound prone to degradation in solution. Analysis of the compound by LC-MS indicated that the compound was unstable under acidic and basic conditions, breaking down to N-formylmescaline. Further degradation to mescaline was observed when the compound was dissolved in hydrochloric acid for an extended period of time suggesting that N,N-diformylmescaline may be a prodrug for mescaline. The GC-MS, NMR and FTIR data for the seized compound are presented along with details of the synthesis and studies of the compound's stability in solution.

Keywords

GCMS; NMR; analogue; characterization; synthesis.

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