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Dowling, G, Kavanagh, PV, Talbot, B, O’Brien, J, Hessman, G, McLaughlin, G, Twamley, B and Brandt, SD
Outsmarted by nooptropics? An investigation into the thermal degradation of modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil, CRL-40,940 and CRL-40,941 in the GC injector: formation of 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane and its tetra fluoro analog. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/5004/
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Dowling, G, Kavanagh, PV, Talbot, B, O’Brien, J, Hessman, G, McLaughlin, G, Twamley, B and Brandt, SD (2017) Outsmarted by nooptropics? An investigation into the thermal degradation of modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil, CRL-40,940 and CRL-40,941 in the GC injector: formation of
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Outsmarted by nooptro pics? An investigation into the thermal degradation of modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil, CRL-40,940 and CRL-40,941 in the GC injector: formation of 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane and its tetra fluoro analog
For Peer Review Journal: Drug Testing and Analysis
Manuscript ID DTA-16-0306.R1
Wiley - Manuscript type: Research Article
Date Submitted by the Author: 26-Nov-2016
Complete List of Authors: Dowling, Geraldine; Dublin Institute of Technology, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Trinity College Dublin, Pharmacology and Therapeutics Kavanagh, Pierce; Trinity College, Pharmacology and Therapeutics Talbot, Brian; Trinity College, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland O'Brien, John; School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland Hessman, Gary; School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland McLaughlin, Gavin; University of Dublin Trinity College, Pharmacology & Therapeutics; Athlone Institute of Technology, Life & Physical Sciences Twamley, Brendan; School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland Brandt, Simon; School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences , Liverpool John Moores University
Keywords: Modafinil, Adrafinil, Modafinic Acid, GC-MS Degradation
2-[(Diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl]acetamide (modafinil) is commonly prescribed for the treatment of narcolepsy and increasing popularity and off-label use as a cognitive enhancer resulted in a reputation as an intelligence boosting ‘wonder drug’. Common alternatives available from online shops and other retail outlets include 2-[(diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl]-N-hydroxyacetamide (adrafinil), 2-{[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]sulfinyl}acetamide (CRL- 40,940), 2-{[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]sulfinyl}-N-hydroxyacetamide (CRL-40,941) and N-methyl-4,4-difluoro-modafinil (modafiendz), Abstract: respectively. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a common tool used in forensic and clinical analysis but there is a potential for inducing analysis-related ambiguities. This study reports on the thermal degradation of modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil, CRL-40,940 and CRL- 40,941 due to exposure to the heated GC injection port dissolved in a variety of solvents. Key degradation products common to modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil analysis included diphenylmethanol and 1,1,2,2- tetraphenylethane (TPE), the latter of which was verified by its synthesis
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1 2 3 4 and characterization by x-ray crystallography. The investigated compounds 5 were also characterized by 1H and 13C NMR. Diphenylmethane and thiobenzophenone were also identified in some instances. TPE formation 6 was suggested to involve the generation of a benzhydrylium ion and its 7 reaction with the sulfoxide oxygen of the parent compound to give an 8 oxysulfonium intermediate. Correspondingly, the fluorinated TPE analog 9 was formed during heat-induced degradation of modafiendz, CRL-40,940 10 and CRL-40,941, respectively. When a mixture of modafinil (non- 11 fluorinated) and modafiendz (fluorinated) were subjected to GC analysis, 12 4,4'-(2,2-diphenylethane-1,1-diyl)bis(fluorobenzene) was detected as a 13 third cross reaction product in addition to the two expected TPE analogs. These observations served as a reminder that the seemingly 14 straightforward implementation of GC-MS analysis can lead to challenges 15 during routine analysis. 16 17 18 For Peer Review 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/dta Drug Testing and Analysis Page 2 of 26
1 2 3 4 Outsmarted by nooptropics? An investigation into the thermal 5 6 degradation of modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil, CRL-40,940 and 7 CRL-40,941 in the GC injector: formation of 1,1,2,2- 8 9 tetraphenylethane and its tetra fluoro analog 10 11 a,b b c Geraldine Dowling *, Pierce V. Kavanagh , Brian Talbot , John O’ 12 d d b d 13 Brien ,Gary Hessman , Gavin McLaughlin , Brendan Twamley , and 14 Simon D. Brandt e 15 16 a School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin 2, 17 18 Ireland For Peer Review 19 b 20 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Trinity Centre for 21 Health Sciences, St. James Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland 22 23 c School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland 24 25 d School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland 26 27 e School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom 28 Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK 29 30
31 32 *Correspondence: School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dublin Institute 33 of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 2. E Mail: [email protected] 34 35 Keywords : Modafinil, adrafinil, modafinic acid, CRL 40,940, CRL 40,941, 36 modafiendz, smart drugs, nootropic, forensic 37
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1 2 3 Abstract 4 5 2 [(Diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl]acetamide (modafinil) is commonly prescribed for the 6 treatment of narcolepsy and increasing popularity and off label use as a cognitive 7 8 enhancer resulted in a reputation as an intelligence boosting ‘wonder drug’. Common 9 alternatives available from online shops and other retail outlets include 2 10 [(diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl] N hydroxyacetamide (adrafinil), 2 {[bis(4 11 fluorophenyl)methyl]sulfinyl}acetamide (CRL 40,940), 2 {[bis(4 12 fluorophenyl)methyl]sulfinyl} N hydroxyacetamide (CRL 40,941) and N methyl 4,4 13 difluoro modafinil (modafiendz), respectively. Gas chromatography mass 14 15 spectrometry (GC MS) is a common tool used in forensic and clinical analysis but 16 there is a potential for inducing analysis related ambiguities. This study reports on 17 the thermal degradation of modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil, CRL 40,940 and CRL 18 40,941 due to For exposure toPeer the heated GCReview injection port dissolved in a variety of 19 solvents. Key degradation products common to modafinil, modafinic acid, adrafinil 20 analysis included diphenylmethanol and 1,1,2,2 tetraphenylethane (TPE), the latter 21 22 of which was verified by its synthesis and characterization by x ray crystallography. 23 The investigated compounds were also characterized by 1H and 13 C NMR. 24 Diphenylmethane and thiobenzophenone were also identified in some instances. 25 TPE formation was suggested to involve the generation of a benzhydrylium ion and 26 its reaction with the sulfoxide oxygen of the parent compound to give an 27 28 oxysulfonium intermediate. Correspondingly, the fluorinated TPE analog was formed 29 during heat induced degradation of modafiendz, CRL 40,940 and CRL 40,941, 30 respectively. When a mixture of modafinil (non fluorinated) and modafiendz 31 (fluorinated) were subjected to GC analysis, 4,4' (2,2 diphenylethane 1,1 32 diyl)bis(fluorobenzene) was detected as a third cross reaction product in addition to 33 the two expected TPE analogs. These observations served as a reminder that the 34 35 seemingly straightforward implementation of GC MS analysis can lead to challenges 36 during routine analysis. 37 38 39 40
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1 2 3 Modafinil (Figure 1) has been used for treating excessive daytime sleepiness or 4 narcolepsy without interfering with nocturnal sleep [1,2] and it is well tolerated with little 5 or no side effects.[3] It was also reported in a case of doping violation in 2003 at the 6 World Track and Field Championship for the first time [4] followed by inclusion in the 7 [5] 8 stimulant