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Feasibility of FTIR Chemical Imaging
for Forensic Analysis of Suspected
Illicit Materials on Blotter Papers:
LSD vs. 25C-NBOMe
Presented by: Sabra Botch-Jones, MS, MA, D-ABFT-FT
Boston University School of Medicine, Biomedical Forensic Sciences
Presented to: Separation Science/Spectroscopy Solutions:
Advances in Forensics & Toxicology eSeminar
Date: October 24, 2017
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Overview• Background: Pharmacological
Effects/Pattern of Use
• Historical to Novel Approaches:
GC-MS and Ambient Ionization
High Resolution Time-of-Flight
Mass Spectrometry (TOFMS)
• Feasibility of FTIR Chemical
Imaging
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Background September 27, 2016, US DEA made
three of these compounds (25I-, 25C-,
and 25B-NBOMe) Schedule I on the
Controlled Substances Act (CSA)*
Similar to Shulgin’s 2C-I, 2C-C, and 2C-
B, differ by the addition of a 2-
methoxybenzyl group on the nitrogen
(NBOMe)
On-line presence 2010/2011 onwards
“Legal” alternative to LSD or not?
5-HT2A
*https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2016/fr0927_2.htm
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• September of 2013, 22 year-old/white-male found during a welfare
check
• Apparent trauma to forehead; lacerations behind the right ear;
contusion on the left side of the decedents chest and punctures on
the side of the right and left sides of the neck were observed.
• The individual’s own hair was found in the mouth and teeth.
• Toxicology-Negative
• Cause of Death: Exsanguination Due to Sharp Force Injury of Ear
• Manner of Death: Undetermined
Homicide or Not?
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25C-NBOMe25I-NBOMe 25B-NBOMe
Most Common Online
Most Published
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25H-NBOMe
25D-NBOMe
25E-NBOMe
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Mescaline-NB2OMe.HCl
(Mescaline-NBOMe.HCl)
25T7-NB2OMe.HCl
(2C-T-7-NBOMe.HCl)
25T4-NB2OMe.HCl
(2C-T-4-NBOMe.HCl)
25T2-NB2OMe.HCl
(2C-T-2-NBOMe.HCl)
25P-NB2OMe.HCl
(2C-P-NBOMe.HCl)
25N-NB2OMe.HCl
(2C-N-NBOMe.HCl)
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Sublingual/Oral/Buccal Nasal Insufflation
IV, IM, Vaginal, Anal, Smoked
Routes of Administration
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5-HT2A
25I-NBOMe 2C-I
10-16
Receptor
Binding Affinity
What does that mean?
Potent serotonin (5-HT2A) agonists
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Clinical Toxicology/ED Data
Forensic Data:
Toxicology/Drug Chemistry
Post Mortem/DUID
Self Reported Data
Animal Studies
Pharmacological Effects
Pattern Of Use
Clinical Studies
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NBOMe User Avg. Age: 21
Class Hallucinogens Avg.
Age: 26
Lawn, et. al. “The NBOMe hallucinogenic drug series: Pattern of use, characteristics of users and self-reported effects
in a large international sample”. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2014, Vol. 28(8) 780-788
Self Reported Data: The Global Drug Survey
NBOMe Hallucinogenic Drug Series
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NBOMe Users by Country
USA
UK
Euro-Zone
Australia
Canada
3%
56%
21%
10%
10%
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25I-NBOMe Deaths
World Health Organization,
Expert Committee on Drug Dependence 36th Meeting, June 2014
*Some Unconfirmed
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‘Pleasurable High’ ‘Negative Effects While
High’
‘Strength of Effect’ ‘Risk of Harm Following
Use’
‘Comedown After Use’
‘Urge to Use More’
Subjective Effects: Self Reported Data
Global Drug Survey
Classic Hallucinogens Dissociative Drug (i.e. Ketamine)
Cost $1.37 (USD, 2013)
“Best value for money compared to other
hallucinogenic drugs”
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National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) 2011-2015
*Drug Enforcement Administration NFLIS Special Report: 2C-Phenethylamines, Piperazines, and Tryptamines Reported in NFLIS, 2011–
2015 https://www.nflis.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/DesktopModules/ReportDownloads/Reports/NFLIS-SR-2CPEA-PiperazineTrypt.pdf
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Current Analytical Procedures
GC/MS and LC/MS
• Soak blotter paper in
0.5mL of methanol
for 6hrs
– For LC: must also
dilute with 0.1% (v/v)
formic acid in water
GC/MS with derivatization, FTIR, and NMR
• Soak blotter paper in 1.0mL methanol in an ultrasonic bath for 1hr
• Extract evaporated until dried under a stream of air.
– For NMR, extract dissolved in deuterated chloroform
– Derivatization steps:
1. dissolve extract in 100µl of derivitizing agent (TFAA:chloroform, 1:1, v:v)
2. vortex
3. incubate at 70°C for 40mins
4. cool to room temp
5. evaporate to dryness with air stream at 37°C
6. reconstitute with 80µl of ethyl acetate
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https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0379073816303383/1-s2.0-S0379073816303383-main.pdf?_tid=95a4c9ea-a7ad-11e7-
be0c-00000aacb361&acdnat=1506975144_0355639491df3317a673d3f5bcef9e6f
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A Faster Route for Screening
• DSA-TOFMS
– Direct Sample Analysis-Time of
Flight Mass Spectrometer
• PerkinElmer Axion2TOFMS
Liquid measurement- 10µL spot
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NBOMe’s Investigated
Most Common Form
• 25I (25C)
Less Common Forms
• 25D
• 25E
• 25H
Newly Investigated
Formulations
• 25T2
• 25T4
• 25T7
• 25P
• Mescaline
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Results-Experiment #3
Blotter paper containing suspected LSD seized in Maine.
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Spectrum Spotlight 400
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Spotlight: Components for IR
Detector in LN2
Dewar
Torroidal Mirror
Cassegrains
IR beam from
spectrometer
Aperture position
Z-fold optics
Motorized
sample
stage
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Blotter paper containing suspected
LSD seized in Maine.
NBOMe & LSD Treated Blotter Paper
ATR Imaging
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Measurement Conditions
– Scan range: 4,000-748 cm-1
– Spectral resolution: 8 cm-1
– Scans per pixel: 4
– Field of view: 500 x 500 um
– Spatial resolution: 1.56 um
– Measures spectra: 102,400
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Untreated Paper PCA
Cellulose
Polyethylene/carbonate mixture
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Untreated Paper PCA
Hydrocarbon/Fluorocarbon mixture
Hydrocarbon/Fluorocarbon/Carbonate
Mixture
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Overlay Comparison
LSD reference
25C-NBOMe Reference
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Untreated Paper
Spectral matching of reference spectra to each measured spectrum in image
Untreated paper correlation image to LSD Untreated paper correlation image to 25C-NBOMe
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LSD Treated Paper PCA
LSD/ paper components mixture
LSD reference spectrum
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LSD Treated Paper Correlation Image
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Comparison of Correlation Images
Untreated Paper LSD Treaded Paper
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NBOMe Treated Paper PCA
Hydro / Fluorocarbon
Mixture Cellulose
Hydrocarbon/Carbonate
Mixture
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NBOMe treated paper
correlation image
Some evidence of NBOMe present
Not a good agreement with “show structure” image
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Correlation Image –Highest Correlation ~ 0.78
NBOMe reference
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Conclusions• For the screening of NBOMe designer drug variables on blotter paper, DSA-
TOFMS and FTIR was successful at reducing analysis time from minutes to
seconds for qualitative analyte identification for selected analytes of interest.
• Application to a forensic sample was successful, further demonstrating its utility
in the forensic laboratory with these types of compounds.
• There are indications that ATR imaging may be used to identify the presences of
LSD and NBOMe on a paper matrix
• High spatial resolution is needed to isolate the chemical entity from the paper
constituents
• The use of high spatial resolution results in a small field of view or area
measured which may limit the ability to examine the whole matrix
• A challenge with low dose drug on blotter paper is if drug is not well dispersed
within paper matrix, technique may produce a negative result do to limitation of
area measured
• No detection levels have been determined for this technique and would need to
be conducted with further research.
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Acknowledgements• Frank Kero-PerkinElmer
• Jamie Foss-PerkinElmer
• Thomas Byron-PerkinElmer
• Michelle Laussen-PerkinElmer
• Douglas Townsend-PerkinElmer
• Jill A. Koepke-PerkinElmer
• Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory
• David Barajas-Boston University School of Medicine
• Boston University School of Medicine, Biomedical Forensic
Sciences
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References1. Lawn, et. al. “The NBOMe hallucinogenic drug series: Pattern of use, characteristics of users and self-reported effects in a large
international sample”. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2014, Vol. 28(8) 780-788
2. Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. “25I‐NBOMe Critical Review Report Agenda Item 4.19” World Health Organization,
Expert Committee on Drug Dependence 36th Meeting June 2014 http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/4_19_review.pdf
3. Walterscheid, et. al. “Pathological Findings in 2 Cases of Fatal 25I-NBOMe Toxicity” Am J Forensic Med Pathol. Vol. 35 . No. 1 ,
March 2014
4. Johnson, RD, et. al. “An Evaluation of 25B-, 25C-, 25D-, 25H-, 25I-, and 25T2-NBOMe via LC/MS/MS: Method Validation and Analyte
Stability”. Robert D. Johnson; Sabra R. Botch-Jones, Tiffany Flowers, Connie Lewis. Journal of Analytical Toxicology 2014 (In press
5. Poklis, J. et. al. “Postmortem detection of 25I-NBOMe [2-(4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]ethanamine] in
fluids and tissues determined by high performace liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry from a traumatic death”
Forensic Science International 234 (2014) e14-e20
6. Halberstadt, A., et. al. “Effects of the hallucinogen 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine (2C-1) and superpotent N-benzyl derivatives
on the head twich response”. Neuropharmacology 77 (2014) 200-207
7. Bersani, F.S. et. al. “ 25C-NBOMe: Preliminary Data on Pharmacology Psychoactive Effects, and Toxicity of a New Potent and
Dangerous Hallucinogenic Drug”. BioMed Research International. Vol 2014, Article ID 734749
8. Zuba, et. al. 25C-NBOMe – New potent hallucinogenic substance identified on the drug market”. Forensic Science International 227
(2013) 7-1
9. Poklis. J., et. al. “Determination of 4-bromo-2, 5-dimethoxy-N-[2-methoxyphenyl methyl]-benzeneethanamine (25B-NBOMe) in serum
and urine by high performance Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry in a case of severe intoxication”. Drug Test Anal.
Jul 2014; 6(0): 764-769
10. Stellpflug, et. al. “2-(4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]Ethanamine (25I-NBOME): Clinical Case with
Unique Confirmatory Testing”. J. Med. Toxicol. (2014) 10:45-50
11. Forrester, M. “NBOMe Designer Drug Exposure Reported to Texas Poison Centers”. Journal of Addictive Diseases. 12 Aug 2014 (In
Press)
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Questions?
Sabra Botch-Jones M.S., M.A., D-ABFT-FT
Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Boston University School of Medicine
Biomedical Forensic Sciences
72 E. Concord St., L805C
Boston, MA 02118
617-638-1969 (Office)
[email protected]
www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/biomedforensic/