Detection of pyrovalerone as a possible synthetic by-product of 4′-methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone and 4-methyl-α-ethylaminopentiophenone in illicit drug products

Purpose Impurity profiling is an important intelligence-gathering tool that can be used to link batches of drugs, and it provides valuable insights into manufacturing and supply trends in new psychoactive substances. In a routine analysis, we detected trace amounts of pyrovalerone in illicit drug products. In this study, we investigated the cause of pyrovalerone’s presence in the illicit drug products containing 4′-methyl-α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MPHP) or 4-methyl-α-ethylaminopentiophenone (4-methyl-α-EAPP).