New Microcrystal Tests for Controlled Drugs, Diverted Pharmaceuticals, and Bath Salts (Synthetic Cathinones)
Sebastian B. Sparenga M.S.; Gary J. Laughlin, Ph.D.*; Meggan B. King, B.Sc.; and Dean Golemis, B.A.
McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
*Corresponding author: Gary J. Laughlin, Ph.D., glaughlin@mcri.org
Citation: McCrone Research Institute. New Microcrystal Tests for Controlled Drugs, Diverted Pharmaceuticals, and Bath Salts (Synthetic Cathinones): https://mccroneinstitute.org/new-microcrystal-tests-for-controlled-drugs-pharmaceuticals-and-bath-salts-synthetic-cathinones/
Published Online: May 8, 2020
1st revision: July 24, 2024
Copyright © 2020-2024 McCrone Research Institute. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
In 2020, McCrone Research Institute began publishing New Microcrystal Tests for Controlled Drugs, Diverted Pharmaceuticals, and Bath Salts (Synthetic Cathinones), which contains newly developed microcrystal tests and reagents for 9 drugs: alprazolam, butylone, MDPV, 4-MEC, mephedrone, methylone, alpha-PVP, tramadol, and zolpidem. This research follows McCrone’s original compendium of 19 drugs, A Modern Compendium of Microcrystal Tests for Illicit Drugs and Diverted Pharmaceuticals, first published in 2015. The PDF links below are the introduction to microcrystal test research and methods, and the monographs for the drugs, aprazolam, butylone, mephedrone, etc. IR spectra files for each drug, in .SPC formats, are also available for download.
MICROCRYSTAL TESTS
The new microcrystal tests include recommended reagents, test methods, crystal morphology, test notes, drug interactions, photomicrographs, illustrations, infrared spectra of microcrystals, potential interferences, and polarized light microscopy (PLM) optical properties of the resultant microcrystals. Download IR spectra SPC file format (ZIP file)
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CONCLUSION
New Microcrystal Tests for Controlled Drugs, Diverted Pharmaceuticals, and Bath Salts (Synthetic Cathinones), contains 9 drugs, including psychoactive bath salts, for which microcrystal tests had not previously been discovered or developed.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Sebastian Sparenga and Meggan King performed and evaluated the microcrystal tests, documented the optical properties, and assisted in the format, layout, and design of the monographs. Sparenga performed the IR microspectroscopy. Dean Golemis designed the layout, created the pages, and edited the content. Gary Laughlin provided the editorial and technical review and overall project management. All authors read and approved the final documents.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Kelly Brinsko Beckert (Microtrace LLC) for her contribution to the research and development of A Modern Compendium of Microcrystal Tests for Illicit Drugs and Diverted Pharmaceuticals (2015) and early contributions leading to the successful discovery and development of new microcrystal tests for drugs in this research. The authors would also like to thank James Dunlop (Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office), Hiram Evans (San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Retired), and Skip Palenik (Microtrace LLC) for their advice and assistance throughout this project.
REFERENCES
Clarke, E.G.C. Isolation and Identification of Drugs, Vol. 1, The Pharmaceutical Press: London, 1969.
Fulton, C. Modern Microcrystal Tests for Drugs, Wiley-Interscience: New York, 1969.
McCrone Research Institute. A Modern Compendium of Microcrystal Tests for Illicit Drugs and Diverted Pharmaceuticals: https://mccroneinstitute.org/a-modern-compendium-of-microcrystal-tests-for-illicit-drugs-and-diverted-pharmaceuticals/, 2015-2018.
This project was supported by Award No. 2016-IJ-CX-K010 by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.
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