Organic Chemists: A Help or Hindrance to Forensic Drug Chemists?

Pierce Kavanagh, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Dublin, Ireland

A journey through the syntheses, analysis and characterization of new psychoactive substances (NPS). Our research focuses on the identification and syntheses of new psychoactive substances (NPS). When we entered this area a number of years ago, analyzing and characterizing products purchased from Head Shops around Ireland, it quickly became apparent that chemical reference standards were not available for compounds that were tentatively identified by NMR, MS etc. As our research strength was organic chemistry based, we turned our attention to their syntheses, which immediately brought us into working relationships with a number of forensic drug chemistry groups working in official laboratories around the word. Our aims were mutual but our methodologies turned out to be somewhat different. It became apparent that all stakeholders would have to benefit from such liaisons. Within academia, we have the time and resources to explore the finer nuances of drug synthesis, utilize techniques, such as NMR or x-ray crystallography, which are not readily available for routine forensic work, and explore the pharmacology of some of the compounds. We have learned a great deal about the time restraints and legislative demands placed upon scientists in forensic laboratories and we have used this to tailor our own research. One question has always been how much really needs to be done to conclusively identify an unknown compound for forensic purposes? The presentation will address this question and focus on our journey through the syntheses, analysis and characterization of NPS in partnerships with forensic laboratories. This will be illustrated by examples of work where we have found isomer formation is dependent on the manufacturing route or cases where impurity profiling has revealed route specific markers.  

In many instances, the only way that a forensic laboratory could bring a case involving an unknown to a successful conclusion was to partner with academia to utilize our synthetic organic chemistry skills and instrumentation. However, this must be balanced with the need for a reasonable turnaround time to provide a robust result. The structure and nature of the relationship between academia and forensic laboratories will be discussed and the way in which this has evolved under the influence of legislation will be explored.