Selective electrochemical discrimination between dopamine and phenethylamine-derived psychotropic drugs using electrodes modified with an acyclic receptor containing two terminal 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazole rings.

Antonio Doménech, Pilar Navarro, Vicente J Arán, Beatriz Muro, Noemí Montoya, Enrique García-España

Index: Analyst 135(6) , 1449-55, (2010)

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Abstract

Electrochemical discrimination between dopamine and psychotropic drugs which have in common a skeletal structure of phenethylamine, can be obtained using acyclic receptors L(1) and L(2), containing two terminal 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazole rings. Upon attachment to graphite electrodes, L(1) and L(2) exhibit a well-defined, essentially reversible solid state electrochemistry in contact with aqueous media, based on electrolyte-assisted reduction processes involving successive cation and anion insertion/binding. As a result, a distinctive, essentially Nernstian electrochemical response is obtained for phenethylammonium ions of methamphetamine (METH), p-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), amphetamine (AMPH), mescaline (MES), homoveratrylamine (HOM), phenethylamine (PEA) and dopamine (DA) in aqueous media.