Exam Flashcards
Stages used to identify a drug of abuse
1 - physical description
2 - sampling
3 - Analysis I
4 - Extraction
5 - Analyis II
6 - quantification
Physical description
- colour and consistency of powders
- microscopic examination of plant material
- colour, consistency and logos on tablets
- weight
Sampling
A suitable sample of the drug is removed for analysis. Depends if it’s trace or bulk sample as need enough for re analysis.
Powder - cone and quartering method
Analysis I
Presumptive tests. May be skipped for trace samples.
Include colour tests, microcrystalline tests and TLC.
Extraction
Extract the drug of interest from any interfering compounds.
Used as drugs are rarely encounted in a pure form.
Analysis II
Confirmatory tests. Include HPLC, GC and GC-MS. Provides evidence beyond reasonable doubt.
Quantification
Provides details of how much is present which is important for sentencings
Colour tests
Marquis - purple for opium Derivates, orange/brown for amphetamines and methamphetamine.
Scott test - blue pink blue for cocaine.
Van Urk - blue/purple for LSD.
Dillie-Koppanyi - violet blue for barbiturates.
Cocaine classification and identification
Class A schedule II drug.
Analysis I - Scott test (B,P,B)
Analysis II - GC-MS / HPLC
Forms of cocaine
Coca leaves
Coca paste
Powder cocaine
Freebase cocaine
Crack cocaine
Production of cocaine
Solvent extraction
Coca leaves + Calcium carbonate (base) + kerosene (solvent) = coca paste (30% cocaine, 10% ecgonine).
- addition of sulfuric acid
Purification of cocaine
Coca paste + sulphuric acid + potassium permanganate = cocaine base
Production of powder cocaine
Cocaine + acetone + hydrochloride acid = cocaine hydrochloride
Opioids area of production
1 - Southeast Asia
2 - southwest Asia
3 - Central America
4 - South America
Production of opium
Opium is collected from the latex in poppies.
Raw opium added to water and boiled.
Solution is filtered and reheated producing a brown paste.
Paste is dried.
Production of morphine
Raw opium is added to water, boiled and dissolved.
Calcium hydroxide is added forming calcium morphinate
Solution is cooled and filtered.
Solution is reheated and ammonium chloride is added to adjust pH to 9
Solution then cooled and the morphine base is filtered off and dried producing a coffee coloured powder.
Purification of morphine
Dissolved in hydrochloric acid by boiling with charcoal and then filtered.
This process is repeated many times and solution is then cooled.
Heroin, opium and morphine analysis and classification.
Marquis colour test - purple
GC-MS / HPLC
Class A.
Opium = schedule I
Morphine = schedule II
Ecstacy (MDMA) classification and analysis
Class A, Schedule I
Marquis colour test - purple/black
GC-MS / HPLC
Synthesis of Ecstacy/ MDMA
Safrole = Isosafrole (in presence of sodium hydroxide)
Isosafrole = MDP-2-P
MDP-2-P = Ecstacy (through process of reductive amination)
A second / alternative way to synthesise Ecstacy
MDA is heated with formic acid in benzene and purified using dichloromethane and Hydrochloric acid.
Classification and analysis of LSD
Class A, Schedule I drug.
Van Urk colour test- blue/purple
Manufacture of LSD
Use Lysergic acid made from ergot amine tartrate to Lysergic trifluroacetic anhydride with the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride then to LSD in the presence of HN(C2H5)2
Synthesis of amphetamine
Leuckart reaction
Phenyl-2-propanone + ammonium formate = Amphetamine (in presence of HCL)
Analysis and classification of amphetamine
Marquis colour test - orange-brown
GC-MS / HPLC
Schedule II, class B.
Manufacture of PCP
Piperidine + cylcohexanone = PCC (in presence of KCN and sodium sulfite) to PCP (in presence of phenylmagnesium bromide)
Classification of PCP
Class A, Schedule II
Microcrystalline tests
Drop of chemical reagent is added to the drug on a microscope slide and the size and shape of crystals are highly characteristic.
Marquis colour test
2% formaldehyde in sulphuric acid
Scott test
Turns blue when solution A is added (2% cobalt thiocyanate in water and glycerine).
Turns pink once solution B is added (hydrochloric acid)
Blue colour reappears in chloroform layer when solution c is added (chloroform)
Synthesis of amphetamine by clandestine labs
React a mixture of phenyl-2-propanone, ethanol, ammonia, aluminium and mercuric chloride.
