Electrochemistry of 5F-MDMB-PICA synthetic cannabinoid using a boron-doped diamond electrode with short anodic-cathodic pretreatment: A simple screening method for application in forensic analysis
Daniel S. Araújo, Luciano C. Arantes, Lucas V. de Faria, Karla A.O. Souza, Dilton M. Pimentel, Sandro L. Barbosa, Eduardo M. Richter, Rodrigo A.A. Muñoz, Wallans Torres Pio dos Santos
Abstract
This work presents, for the first time, the electrochemical detection of methyl(2S)-2-{[1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indole-3-carbonyl]amino}-3,3-dimethyl butanoate (5F-MDMB-PICA), which is one of the most reported synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) in seized forensic samples. The 5F-MDMB-PICA detection is based on adsorptive stripping differential pulse voltammetry (AdSDPV) using a boron-doped diamond electrode (BDDE) with short anodic-cathodic pretreatment . This SC exhibited an irreversible oxidation process at around +1.2 V on a BDDE ( vs. Ag|AgCl|KCl (sat.) ) in 0.1 mol L −1 H 2 SO 4 . The proposed method presents a wide linear range (1.0 to 100 µmol L −1 ) for 5-MDMB-PICA determination and a low limit of detection (0.09 µmol L −1 ). The selectivity for 5F-MDMB-PICA detection at the BDDE using AdSDPV was evaluated using six other SCs and no interference was observed. In addition, the BDDE showed a good stability of 5F-MDMB-PICA electrochemical responses. Addition-recovery studies in real seized samples presented results close to 100%. Therefore, the combination of BDDE with AdSDPV demonstrates a great potential for a simple and fast screening of 5F-MDMB-PICA and an on-site application in forensic analysis.