The Differentiation of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) from N-Methyl-N-Propyl and N-Butyl Amides of Lysergic Acid

The N-methyl-N-propyl, N-methyl-N-isopropy, N-butyl, N-isobutyl, N-sec-butyl and N-tert-butyl amides of lysergic acid were synthesized to determine the specificity of electron impact mass spectroscopy (EI/MS), when combined with other analytical techniques, for the identification of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). After separation of the C8 axial and equatorial isomers by preparative thin-layer chromatography, the amides were subjected to gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and EI/MS. EI/MS, when combined with other analytical techniques, is shown to be capable of differentiating LSD from any of the other compounds included in this study.