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Published evidence of issues differentiating MDMA from Isomers using LC and GCMS

Jabberwocky

Frumious Bandersnatch
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The mass spectra of the controlled substance 3,4-MDMA and its regioisomer 2,3-MDMA are characterized by an imine fragment base peak at m/z 58 and additional fragments at m/z 135/136 for the methylenedioxybenzyl cation and radical cation, respectively. Three positional ring methoxy isomers of N-methyl-2-(methoxyphenyl)-3-butanamine (MPBA) have an isobaric relationship to 2,3- and 3,4-MDMA. All five compounds have the same molecular weight and produce similar EI mass spectra.

This lack of mass spectral specificity for the isomers in addition to the possibility of chromatographic co-elution could result in misidentification. The lack of reference materials for the potential imposter molecules constitutes a significant analytical challenge.

I believe this is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,3-Benzodioxolylbutanamine

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21549024


Oh and here is a paper that identifies

LC–ESI-MS–MS is necessary to differentiate

https://chromsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/2/92.full.pdf


and next is a paper that shows even HPLC can have issues

[TABLE="width: 1540"]
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[TD]Several organic solvents were examined for the mobile phase, and the results were plotted and analyzed. The most advantageous conditions for 3,4-MDMA turned out to be a gradient acetonitrile/buffer system. Again, however, 2,3-MDPE came off the column very closely to 3,4-MDMA.

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/archive/tcaw/10/i02/html/02inst.html[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
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