• DOI:10.1007/S00216-002-1477-6
• Corpus ID: 42666306

Impurity profiling of seized MDMA tablets by capillary gas chromatography

@article{Palhol2002ImpurityPO,
  title={Impurity profiling of seized MDMA tablets by capillary gas chromatography},
  author={Fabien Palhol and Sophie Boyer and Norbert Naulet and Martine Chabrillat},
  journal={Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry},
  year={2002},
  volume={374},
  pages={274-281}
}

• F. Palhol, S. Boyer, +1 author Martine Chabrillat
• Published 28 August 2002
• Chemistry
• Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

Abstract. Impurity profiles of 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) tablets seized in France have been examined. The samples were extracted with methylene chloride under basic conditions and then analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. Almost 30 compounds were identified as precursors, intermediates and by-products. Palmitic and stearic acid were also found as tableting materials. The comparison of the different profiles obtained by the reported procedure provided very useful information about the synthetic processes used by clandestine laboratories and enabled a classification into several groups of profiles. According to these results, the reductive amination route appears to be the most common synthetic pathway in Western Europe. Furthermore, 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone seems to be the most used precursor in clandestine laboratories.