Electrochemical Reduction Behavior  Of Mephedrone Drug At A Dropping  Mercury Electrode And Its Pharmaceutical  Determination In Spiked Human Urine Samples

V. Krishnaiah; Y. V. R. Reddy; V. H. Reddy; M.T. Reddy; G.M.Rao

Volume : I, Issue : IV, September - 2012

Electrochemical Reduction Behavior Of Mephedrone Drug At A Dropping Mercury Electrode And Its Pharmaceutical Determination In Spiked Human Urine Samples

V. Krishnaiah, Y. V. R. Reddy, V. H. Reddy, M. T. Reddy, G. M. Rao

Abstract :

The designer drug 1–(4–methylphenyl)–2–methylaminopropan–1–one (4–methylmethcathinone or mephedrone) is reported to possess psychostimulant, entactogenic and hallucinogenic effects. From the structural point of view mephedrone drug has keto (–C=O) functional group. In the present paper, we have reported the reduction behavior of mephedrone was studied on the surface of the dropping mercury electrode (DME) as working electrode in universal buffer of pH range from 2.0 to 12.0 by direct current polarography, differential pulse polarography, cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis. Mephedrone showed one reduction peak and the results indicated that the reduction processes of mephedrone is irreversible and was diffusion controlled as evidence from linear plots of id against h1/2. Millicoulometric experiment was performed successfully in estimating the number of electrons and protons involved in the reduction processes and to understand reduction mechanism. Kinetic parameters such as diffusion co–efficient (D) and heterogeneous forward rate constant (Kof, h) are evaluated and reported. Quantitative measurements were successful in the concentration range 1.0 × 10–5 to 1.5 × 10–9 M with lower detection limit 1.25 × 10–8 M.