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                            Library & Multimedia
 N,N-Dimethylpentylone (dipentylone)—A new synthetic cathinone identified in a postmortem forensic toxicology case series
NCJ Number
              307387
Journal

*Journal of Analytical Toxicology* Volume: Online Dated: 2023
Author(s)
          Melissa F Fogart;
                        Alex J Krotulski;
                        Donna M Papsun;
                        Sara E Walton;
                        Michael Lamb;
                        Michael T Truver;
                        Chris W Chronister;
                        Bruce A Goldberger;
                        Barry K Logan
Date Published

2023
Annotation
              This article details a new synthetic cathione identified in a series postmortem forensic toxicology cases.
Abstract
              The synthetic cathione N,N-Dimethylpentylone (dipentylone) has emerged as a new psychoactive substance (NPS) on the drug market as an alternative to controlled stimulants and entactogen. Based on prior trends of new synthetic cathinones, N,N-dimethylpentylone may predominate the U.S. synthetic stimulant market for the next 1–2 years. N,N-Dimethylpentylone, also known as dipentylone or beta-keto-dimethylbenzodioxolylpentanamine, emerged into the illicit drug supply within 2 months of the international control of eutylone (September 2021). A novel standard addition method was developed and validated for N,N-dimethylpentylone, pentylone and eutylone, and 18 postmortem cases were quantitated using the method described in this manuscript. The majority of synthetic cathinones can be subclassified into two groups: beta-keto amphetamines (i.e., NPS with the suffix “drone”) and beta-keto methylenedioxyamphetamines (i.e., NPS with the suffix “lone”). Although a significant number of beta-keto amphetamines have been identified, beta-keto methylenedioxyamphetamines have dominated the NPS market, including notable drugs like methylone, butylone, N-ethyl pentylone (ephylone), eutylone, and now N,N-dimethylpentylone.  The resulting blood concentration range for N,N-dimethylpentylone in this case series was 3.3 to 970 ng/mL. Pentylone, a metabolite of N,N-dimethylpentylone, was detected in all cases. Due to the rise in identifications of N,N-dimethylpentylone in postmortem investigations as well as the potential misidentification of N,N-dimethylpentylone as N-ethyl pentylone, samples testing positive for pentylone should be additionally confirmed for the presence of N,N-dimethylpentylone. Given the emergence of additional closely related isomeric compounds, it is important to utilize methodology capable of differentiating N,N-dimethylpentylone from its isomers (N-isopropylbutylone, N-ethyl pentylone, N-ethyl N-methyl butylone, hexylone, N-propylbutylone, diethylone and tertylone).
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2020-DQ-BX-0007


  
  
        
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  Award
        Real-Time Sample-Mining and Data-Mining Approaches for the Discovery of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS)
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2023
    
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