Electrochemical screening of synthetic cathinone metabolites

Synthetic cathinones (SCat) constitute the second largest class of emerging novel psychoactive substances (NPS) which are continuing to increase in prevalence in recent years. Their recreational use, as psychostimulants with hallucinogenic effects, represent a significant public health problem. However, the variety and number of new SCats means forensic detection is extremely challenging. This is particularly true of toxicological and/or emergency room samples, where their metabolites need to be detected. Therefore, there is a necessity for rapid, portable, robust and easy to use screening methods to tackle this issue. This contribution explores the use of square wave voltammetry (SWV) as a proof-of-concept for screening of three SCat metabolites, namely 3,4-catechol-PV (also known as 3,4-dihydroxypyrovalerone or 3,4-DH-PV) (3,4-catechol-PV), β-OH- α -pyrrolidinopentiophenone (β-OH- α -PVP) and nor-mephedrone (Nor-MEP). These are metabolites of mephedrone (MEP), α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone( α -PVP) and 3,4-methylenedioxy pyrovalerone (MDPV). This approach could be successfully deployed at crime scenes or within emergency rooms for rapid, low cost screening of biological samples for the presence of SCat metabolites. This approach highlights their detection in ideal buffered solutions as well as artificial biological matrices demonstrating its feasibility for the screening of toxicological samples and illustrates a simple and reliable screening method over the micromolar concentration range with a limit of detection of ~1 μM for each metabolite in buffer and artificial biological matrices. • SWV sensor for the screening of synthetic cathinone metabolites. • Detection down to micromolar concentrations within artificial urine, saliva and human pooled serum. • Straightforward electrochemical sensor applicable for three biological matrices for the forensic screening of synthetic cathinone metabolites.