Impurity Profiling of Illicit Methamphetamine

Abstract

In the criminal investigation of illicit drug traffic routes, impurity profiling and classification of seized methamphetamine may play an important role by proper interpretation of analysis results and the determination of the synthetic method employed. Methamphetamine is one of the illicit drugs of abuse in Korea and this thesis is focused on classifying seized illicit methamphetamine samples based on chemical impurities, especially synthetic route specific impurities originated from various synthetic methods such as Emde, Nagai, and Leuckart methods. In Leuckart method, specific impurities are α–benzyl-N-methylpheneethylamine and N,α,α-trimethyldiphenethylamine. Nagai method has 1,3-Dimethyl-2-phenylnaphthalene and 1-benzyl-3-methylnaphthalene as specific impurities. Diastereomers of N, N-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylhexane-2,5-diamine, (1S,2S)-1-methylamino-1-phenyl-2-chloropropane, and N-methyl-1-{4-[2-(methylamino)propyl]phenyl}-1-phenylpropan-2-amine are specific impurities from Emde method. Based on these synthetic route specific impurities and enantiomeric properties of methamphetamine, 823 exhibits of methamphetamine seized in Korea between 1997 and 2011 could be classified into 49 lowest-level sub groups by the synthetic characteristics. As a first step, based on enantiomeric properties, 823 exhibits could be divided into 4 groups. In second step, the 4 groups could be divided into 23 sub-groups by the existence of ephedrine. And then the 23 sub-groups could be divided into 32 lower-level sub-groups by the existence of trans- and cis-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidone. Finally, 32 lower-level sub groups could be divided into 49 lowest-level sub groups by route synthetic impurities.

압수된 메탐페타민의 불순물 프로파일링과 분류는 분석결과의 해석, 제조에 쓰인 합성법과 메탐페타민 밀매에 관한 범죄 수사에 중요한 역할을 한다. 본 논문은 불법적을 밀조한 메탐페타민에 남아있는 합성법 특이적 화학 불순물을 기반으로 하여 메탐페타민을 분류하는데 초점을 맞추고 있다. 메탐페타민은 합성경로에 따라 특이적 불순물을 가지고 있다. α–Benzyl-N-methylpheneethylamine과 N,α,α-trimethyldiphenethylamine은 Leuckart 합성법에 특이적 불순물이고, 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenylnaphthalene와 1-benzyl-3-methylnaphthalene는 Nagai 합성법에 특이적 불순물이며, N, N-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylhexane-2,5-diamine의 diastereomer, N-methyl-1-{4-[2-(methylamino)propyl]phenyl}-1-phenylpropan-2-amine과 (1S,2S)-1-methylamino-1-phenyl-2-chloropropane은 Emde 합성법에 특이적인 불순물들이다. 이러한 합성경로 특이적 불순물과 메탐페타민의 광학이성질체 특성을 이용하여, 1997년부터 2011년까지 한국에서 압수된 메탐페타민 823점을 49개의 그룹으로 분류하였다. 첫 번째 단계로 메탐페타민의 광학이성질체 특성에 따라 4그룹으로 나뉠 수 있었다. 두 번째 단계로 에페드린의 검출여부에 따라 23그룹으로 나뉠 수 있었다. 세 번째 단계로 trans- 및 cis-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidone의 검출여부에 따라 32그룹으로 나뉠 수 있었다. 마지막으로 합성법 특이 불순물의 검출여부에 따라 49그룹으로 나뉠 수 있었다.