Articles

Structural Elucidation of Phenylethyl Etonitazene in Seized Powders

  • LIU Yonghong ,
  • LIAO Qi ,
  • JIAO Ying ,
  • SUN Wei ,
  • XIAO Lei ,
  • JIA Wei ,
  • LIU Cuimei
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  • 1. National Narcotics Laboratory Shaanxi Regional Center, Key Laboratory of Drugs analysis & intelligent-Montoring, Xi'an 712046, China
    2. School of Chemistry, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
    3. Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Beijing 100193, China

Received date: 2025-03-14

  Online published: 2025-07-28

Abstract

The chemical structure of one seized yellow powder sample was elucidated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The yellow powder was identified as 2-[2-(4-ethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-N,N-diethyl-5-nitro-1H-benzimidazole-1-ethanamine and was abbreviated as phenylethyl etonitazene. It is a nitazene-type new psychoactive substance (NPS), which has not been controlled in China. The characteristic absorption peaks in IR spectrum and product ions in mass spectra were discussed. The 1H and 13C NMR signals of phenylethyl etonitazene were fully assigned, aided by its two-dimensional NMR data. The information provided herein will assist forensic science laboratories in identifying this compound or other structurally similar substances in their casework.

Cite this article

LIU Yonghong , LIAO Qi , JIAO Ying , SUN Wei , XIAO Lei , JIA Wei , LIU Cuimei . Structural Elucidation of Phenylethyl Etonitazene in Seized Powders[J]. Chinese Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 2025 , 42(4) : 414 -428 . DOI: 10.11938/cjmr20253151

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