Introduction
You get an unusual mephedone product and want to carry out pollution and admixture testing experiments. Use this article as a guide for experimenting. There are list of manipulations with mephedone product, useful information for home tests and product brief.
Mephedrone is obtained as racemic product, a mixture of both R-(D-) and S-(L-) stereoisomers: R-mephedrone (R-MEPH) and S-mephedrone (S-MEPH).
Mephedrone is obtained as racemic product, a mixture of both R-(D-) and S-(L-) stereoisomers: R-mephedrone (R-MEPH) and S-mephedrone (S-MEPH).
Substantial difference in the neuropharmacological profiles of R-MEPH and S-MEPH, with S-MEPH having a greater serotonergic profile and demonstrating mild locomotor activation and no rewarding properties among doses examined, and R-MEPH possessing more of a dopaminergic stimulant-like profile with both locomotor activation and reward. While R-MEPH and S-MEPH display similar effects on dopamine release, the R-stereoisomer is much weaker in its ability to release 5-HT (serotonin receptor). Using the DAT/SERT ratio (dopamine transporter/5-HT transporter), a metric that defines preference for drug-induced release effects at dopaminergic neurons over 5-HT neurons, R-MEPH displays a 50-fold greater preference for the dopaminergic system than S-MEPH.
The finding that R-MEPH is more efficacious than S-MEPH in producing repetitive movements again differs from amphetamine and methamphetamine, where amphetamine and methamphetamine enantiomers produce no significantly different increases in stereotype. Coupled with the dopamine and 5-HT release assay data, MEPH enantiomers demonstrate a neurochemical and behavioural profile where R-MEPH displays more dopaminergic effects when compared with S-MEPH, contrary to observations with several similarly structured compounds.
The product is transformed to a salt. Usually it is hydrochloric or hydrobromic salts of mephedrone. A perfectly pure product has practically no odor or smells like a pharmaceutical substance, has no pronounced color (pure white flour or translucent whitish crystals).
There are different product forms of mepehdrone on global market: crystals, crystal powder, powder and flour. The most clean form is crystals, which are obtained by recristallization of mephedrone powder or directly from synthesis mass. By the way, crystal powder and flour may have the same purity as crystals.
The finding that R-MEPH is more efficacious than S-MEPH in producing repetitive movements again differs from amphetamine and methamphetamine, where amphetamine and methamphetamine enantiomers produce no significantly different increases in stereotype. Coupled with the dopamine and 5-HT release assay data, MEPH enantiomers demonstrate a neurochemical and behavioural profile where R-MEPH displays more dopaminergic effects when compared with S-MEPH, contrary to observations with several similarly structured compounds.
The product is transformed to a salt. Usually it is hydrochloric or hydrobromic salts of mephedrone. A perfectly pure product has practically no odor or smells like a pharmaceutical substance, has no pronounced color (pure white flour or translucent whitish crystals).
There are different product forms of mepehdrone on global market: crystals, crystal powder, powder and flour. The most clean form is crystals, which are obtained by recristallization of mephedrone powder or directly from synthesis mass. By the way, crystal powder and flour may have the same purity as crystals.
All product forms have same effects after consuming and same molecular formula. Some people thought that crystals are more powerful, but this is a deception. The fact is that crystals has a higher density than a highly dispersed air powder of mephedrone. The consumer unknowingly uses a larger dose at a time than for flour, hence the result.
Possible side products and unreacted substances
Although mephedrone is easy to producing, in rare cases may be polluted by side products and precursors as 4`-methylpropiophenone; resines; iodium; bromine; copper, or copper salts (finely dispersed) from the bromination of the precursor can get into the final product; methylamine salts; 4'-methyl-2-bromopropiophenone; n-methylpyrrolidone; DMSO; DMF; iso-mephedrone (1-N-methyl-1-(4-methyl)-phenylacetone); pyrazines, which can be formed bydimerization of mephedrone.
The most popular admixtures of mephedrone
Mephedrone is quite seldom diluted by undeclared substances due to simple synthesis. It would be caffeine, lidocaine, starch, salt, sugar and so on. Product can be substituted by substances, which have same physical and visual characteristic, such as whitish crystals or crystal powder, white flour. This can be a-PVP, methadone, MDMA, or amphetamine.
Algorithm of procedures:
1. Firstly, you have to provide visual checking of your stuff. If your product has different form or/and color from whitish or colorless crystals, flour or crystal powder, It, probably, has some organic or inorganic syntheses side products, which can change structure and color. Mephedrone products can have a weak beige shade. More colored means a dirtier product. Almost all the synthesis impurities can be deleted by alkali extraction, acetone washing or recrystallization.
What determines the color:
Yellowish - produced by ingestion of 4'-methyl-2-bromopropiophenone, making the product oily;
Yellow - Yellow-brown, brown - resins formed during overheating of the reaction mixture, iodine;
Greenish - obtained when 4'-methyl-2-bromopropiophenone gets into the final product;
Reddish, ginger, earthy colors- iodine / bromine contamination;
Blue, bluish - excess methylamine salts;
Black, dark brown pasty - n-methylpyrrolidone, DMSO, DMF.
What determines the color:
Yellowish - produced by ingestion of 4'-methyl-2-bromopropiophenone, making the product oily;
Yellow - Yellow-brown, brown - resins formed during overheating of the reaction mixture, iodine;
Greenish - obtained when 4'-methyl-2-bromopropiophenone gets into the final product;
Reddish, ginger, earthy colors- iodine / bromine contamination;
Blue, bluish - excess methylamine salts;
Black, dark brown pasty - n-methylpyrrolidone, DMSO, DMF.
2. Secondary, provide a simple experiment with saving your product in water. Dissolve 100 mg (100 mg is enough, but more is better) of the mephedrone sample in 10 ml room temperature water. If your sample is solving well, it means that, probably, you have quiet pure drug. Also, large crystals and lumps can dissolve over time. Important: grind dense lumps of powder before the experiment, small lumps may form in the sediment.
You have to interpret results of the dissolution experiment. If your product is completely insoluble or partially dissolves, it could be caused by the addition of caffeine. There are links to simple experiments for determinate caffeine in amphetamine powder by Wagner's reagent and Nitric acid and ammonia solution. These methods are suitable for mephedrone as well.
Also, it can be MCC (microcrystalline cellulose), silicon dioxide, inorganic salts (see «Determination of impurity in synthetic PAS»). Precursors (methylamine hydrochloride or salts, haloketones) and isomerization products (iso-mephedrone and pyrazines, which can be formed bydimerization of mephedrone), can be determinated by «Determination of mephedrone impurities».
I got mephedrone mixed with starch for testing. I figured it out with a suspension made in aqueous solution. Furthermore, I ran a simple experiment to confirm this. You need to add 3-4 drops of 2 iodine alcohol solution to the water solution of the mephedrone sample. If the sample solution turns blue, it means your sample contains starch.
I got mephedrone mixed with starch for testing. I figured it out with a suspension made in aqueous solution. Furthermore, I ran a simple experiment to confirm this. You need to add 3-4 drops of 2 iodine alcohol solution to the water solution of the mephedrone sample. If the sample solution turns blue, it means your sample contains starch.
3. Thirdly, confirm the compliance of the product with the declared mephedrone by LF tests (drug testing kits). You will receive clear result about your substance and admixtured narcotic substance (if it takes place to be) and these tests help to choose next step.
4. Fourthly, check pH of the solution. Product of mephedrone can be polluted by organic powdery acids (ascorbic, citric, etc.), organic powdery bases (Novocaine, Lidocaine, Caffeine, etc.). «Determination of impurity in synthetic PAS» exactly describe methodic of detemination them.
5. Next, if any pollutants are not found, and you still doubt in your mephedrone sample or LF tests reveal admixtured narcotic substance, lead experiments with test reagents. Use «Drugs testing reagents». These methods help to determine kind of admixtures. There are manuals, which are described checking method procedures and meaning, where you can find methods of reagent synthesis. According to data from testing reagent experiments, you may compare and approve result by TLC.
Pure 4-MMC tests
4. Fourthly, check pH of the solution. Product of mephedrone can be polluted by organic powdery acids (ascorbic, citric, etc.), organic powdery bases (Novocaine, Lidocaine, Caffeine, etc.). «Determination of impurity in synthetic PAS» exactly describe methodic of detemination them.
5. Next, if any pollutants are not found, and you still doubt in your mephedrone sample or LF tests reveal admixtured narcotic substance, lead experiments with test reagents. Use «Drugs testing reagents». These methods help to determine kind of admixtures. There are manuals, which are described checking method procedures and meaning, where you can find methods of reagent synthesis. According to data from testing reagent experiments, you may compare and approve result by TLC.
Pure 4-MMC tests
For instance, you have received a test result with Marquis reagent, which gave no color. It approves that it is, probably, clear mephedrone. After, you added few drops of Mecke reagent and the color of the drops changes to yellowish. Usually, it means that your meph. diluted with a-PVP or MDPV. Take TLC plate, polluted sample of meph., real clear meph. and clear a-PVP and MDPV (if you have), make four spots of substances and elute them, count Rf and compare results with the literature data. If your sample spots will split in two or more parts, which will have the same level of a-PVP or MDPV and clear meph., it means that your sample has a-PVP/MDPV contamination. If your s ample does not have spot in real meph. level, it means that you have a-PVP/MDPV with something as mephedrone, a substance with similar physical and organoleptic properties.
Conclusion
Melting point verification can be added to the second step to confirm quality compliance and to determine the degree of impurity content. This manual allows identifying degree of impurity level, determinate contamination substances and approve results by different methods.
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