Development of a targeted GC/MS screening method and validation of an HPLC/DAD quantification method for piperazines-amphetamines mixtures in seized material

Abstract Piperazine-related drugs are sold as party pills in the form of tablets, capsules, liquids or powders. These party pills can contain several piperazine derivatives, or even a mixture of piperazines and amphetamine derivatives. This paper describes a screening method using a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry technique allowing the separation and the identification of active components within these mixtures by a combined silylation and acylation derivatization procedure. The studied substances–namely: 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP), 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyben-zyl)piperazine (MDBP), 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine (TFMPP), 1-(3-chlorophenyl) piperazine (mCPP), 1-(4-methoxyphenyl) piperazine (MeOPP), amphetamine, methamphetamine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA), 3,4-methylenedi-oxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (MDEA) and N-methyl-1,3-benzodioxolylbutanamine (MBDB)–are separated.