Potentiometric signal transduction for selective determination of 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine “legal ecstasy” through biomimetic interaction mechanism

Abstract

1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (mCPP) is a wide spread new psychoactive substance produces stimulant and hallucinogenic effects similar to those sought from ecstasy. Hence, in the recent years, mCPP has been introduced by the organized crime through the darknet as a part of the illicit ecstasy market with a variable complex profile of pharmacologically active substances that pose problematic risk patterns among people who take these seized products. Accordingly, the design of selective sensors for the determination of mCPP is a very important demand. In this respect, a supramolecular architecture; [Na(15-crown-5)][BPh4 ] from the assembly of 15-crown-5 and sodium tetraphenylboron has been utilized as an ionophore, for the first time in the selective recognition of mCPP in conjunction with potassium tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl)borate and dioctylphthalate through polymeric membrane ion sensors. The ionophore exhibited a strong binding affinity that resulted in a high sensitivity with a slope closed to the ideal Nernstian value; 58.9 ± 0.43 mV/decade, a larger dynamic range from 10−6 to 10−2 M, a lower limit of detection down to 5.0 × 10−7 M and a fast response time of 5 s. Very important also is it was afforded excellent selectivity towards mCPP over psychoactive substances of major concern, providing a potentially useful system for the determination of mCPP in the illicit market. On comparison with the natural β-cyclodextrin as an ionophore, it exhibited more sensitivity and selectivity estimated to be the superior.