The high frequency of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) emergence renders this group of new psychoactive compounds particularly demanding in terms of detection, identification, and responding. Without the available reference material, one of the specific problems is differentiation and structure elucidation of constitutional isomers. Herein, we report a simple and efficient flow chart diagram applicable for a rapid nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) identification and differentiation between azaindoles, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-azaindole, which is a common structural motif of synthetic cannabinoids. The flow chart diagram is based on 1 H NMR and 1 H-15 N NMR spectra, and to prove the concept, it has been tested on 5F-MDMB-P7AICA (1). Spectral and analytical data including standard 1D and 2D NMR spectra, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectant (FTIR-ATR), Raman, melting point, and combustion analysis are provided for compound 1.
Keywords: 15N NMR; 5F-MDMB-P7AICA; azaindole; new psychoactive substances (NPS); synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs).
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.