Introduction
When you buy LSD-25, but the product has strange effects, or you have doubts about this. Then you decided to figure out its composition. You open this article and use it as a guide for experimenting. The list of manipulations with LSD product, useful information for home tests and product brief are mentioned below.
Isomers
LSD is a chiral compound with two stereo centers at the carbon atoms C-5 and C-8, so that theoretically four different optical isomers of LSD could exist. LSD, also called (+)-D-LSD, has the absolute configuration (5R,8R). The C-5 isomers of lysergamides do not exist in nature and are not formed during the synthesis from d-lysergic acid. Retrosynthetically, the C-5 stereo center could be analysed as having the same configuration of the alpha carbon of the naturally occurring amino acid L-tryptophan, the precursor to all biosynthetic ergoline compounds.
However, LSD and iso-LSD, the two C-8 isomers, rapidly interconvert in the presence of bases, as the alpha proton is acidic and can be deprotonated and reprotonated. Non-psychoactive iso-LSD, which has formed during the synthesis can be separated by chromatography and can be isomerized to LSD. Only one stereoisomer (the d-) is psychoactive. Thus, racemic (l/d 50-50 mix) lsd shows half the potency of the dextro form. In synthesis, it is possible to recover the l-form of the lysergic acid.
Pure salts of LSD are triboluminescent, emitting small flashes of white light when shaken in the dark. LSD is strongly fluorescent and will glow bluish-white under UV light. LSD blue fluorescence turns yellow when LSD is oxidized. Recommended is wrapping in tin-foil to exclude light, storing in an airtight container with a desiccant bag and then in the freezer. The four possible stereo isomers of LSD. Only D(R)(+)-LSD is psychoactive.
However, LSD and iso-LSD, the two C-8 isomers, rapidly interconvert in the presence of bases, as the alpha proton is acidic and can be deprotonated and reprotonated. Non-psychoactive iso-LSD, which has formed during the synthesis can be separated by chromatography and can be isomerized to LSD. Only one stereoisomer (the d-) is psychoactive. Thus, racemic (l/d 50-50 mix) lsd shows half the potency of the dextro form. In synthesis, it is possible to recover the l-form of the lysergic acid.
Pure salts of LSD are triboluminescent, emitting small flashes of white light when shaken in the dark. LSD is strongly fluorescent and will glow bluish-white under UV light. LSD blue fluorescence turns yellow when LSD is oxidized. Recommended is wrapping in tin-foil to exclude light, storing in an airtight container with a desiccant bag and then in the freezer. The four possible stereo isomers of LSD. Only D(R)(+)-LSD is psychoactive.
Forms
LSD is one of the most widely used mood-changing chemicals or a psychedelic. It is a hallucinogen that induces hallucinations, producing mood and behavior changes in the user. LSD is produced in crystalline form and then mixed with other inactive ingredients, or diluted as a liquid for production in ingestible forms. It is odorless, colorless and has a slightly bitter taste.LSD is usually found on the streets in various forms, for example:
- blotter paper (LSD soaked onto sheets of absorbent paper with colorful designs; cut into small, individual dosage units) - the most common form;
- thin squares of gelatin (commonly referred to as window panes);
- tablet form (usually small tablets known as Microdots) or capsules;
- liquid on sugar cubes;
- pure liquid form (maybe extremely potent);
- chocolate or any sweet products such as marmalade or candy.
Some people may inhale LSD through the nose (snort) or inject it into a vein (shoot it up). There is no way to predict the amount of LSD that is contained in any form consumed.
The most popular admixtures added to LSD
LSD produced as white crystals HCl salt with slight beige tint. There is racemic mixture of L-/D- isomers, which have to be divided. LSD is produced as white crystals with slight beige tint. A substance is a racemic mixture of L-/D- isomers. Dissolved product with known concentration is impregnating a paper and LSD marks are obtained. The most spreaded adulterant is a ketamine, this is due to the fact ketamine has slight visual hallucinatory effect like LSD. Also, LSD can be substituted with XX-NBOH, ХХ-NBOMe, phencyclidine (PCP), gabapentin, trimipramine, tryptamines and spoiled by by-product such as lysergic acid and useless isomers. There is list of analysis reports with described compositions of LSD products from the USA.
Algorithm of procedures:
1. Firstly, you have to provide simple experiment with UV light.
LSD has been known to glow under ultraviolet or black light since at least the 1950s. We recently photographed under black light, fresh liquid LSD versus seven-year-old LSD, as well as liquid LSD versus 25I-NBOMe spots on paper. The primary light we used was a handheld Spectroline Model UV-5NF, but we also used two other battery-operated UV lights. All the UV light sources showed the same results, but the Spectroline UV-5NF photographed best. Even the LED UV micro lights caused the LSD to fluoresce clearly, so it is not necessary to use an expensive UV lamp to rule out LSD. If something sold as LSD does not fluoresce, it does not contain LSD. If it does fluoresce, it could be many things and LSD is one possibility. The seven-year-old LSD was reported by the owner to be very weak. Neither the old LSD nor the 25I-NBOMe showed any visible reaction to UV light, while the fresh LSD glowed brightly.
In order to test for LSD using a UV light, we first checked the papers themselves under the light to determine whether or not (and to what degree) a given untreated paper sample glowed. Some bright white and colored papers glowed brightly enough under UV light on their own, without any LSD present, that a glowing spot would have been hard to identify. After we verified a paper sample that did not glow at all by itself, a drop of the liquid LSD (in this case, LSD in alcohol solution) was applied to the paper. The spot of LSD fluoresced (glowed) brightly under the UV light. We played with the UV lamp and the LSD in a variety of ways, on a number of different papers. The LSD fluoresced when dry or wet.
Note that LSD is destroyed by UV light in the presence of oxygen, including in water or non-anhydrous alcohol (anhydrous alcohol absorbs water very quickly out of the air and does not remain anhydrous very long in normal environments). Although a brief exposure to UV will not substantially weaken a single tab of acid, exposure to sunlight or long exposure to a UV lamp will destroy LSD molecules, converting the d-LSD to lumi-LSD (totally inactive in man).
LSD has been known to glow under ultraviolet or black light since at least the 1950s. We recently photographed under black light, fresh liquid LSD versus seven-year-old LSD, as well as liquid LSD versus 25I-NBOMe spots on paper. The primary light we used was a handheld Spectroline Model UV-5NF, but we also used two other battery-operated UV lights. All the UV light sources showed the same results, but the Spectroline UV-5NF photographed best. Even the LED UV micro lights caused the LSD to fluoresce clearly, so it is not necessary to use an expensive UV lamp to rule out LSD. If something sold as LSD does not fluoresce, it does not contain LSD. If it does fluoresce, it could be many things and LSD is one possibility. The seven-year-old LSD was reported by the owner to be very weak. Neither the old LSD nor the 25I-NBOMe showed any visible reaction to UV light, while the fresh LSD glowed brightly.
In order to test for LSD using a UV light, we first checked the papers themselves under the light to determine whether or not (and to what degree) a given untreated paper sample glowed. Some bright white and colored papers glowed brightly enough under UV light on their own, without any LSD present, that a glowing spot would have been hard to identify. After we verified a paper sample that did not glow at all by itself, a drop of the liquid LSD (in this case, LSD in alcohol solution) was applied to the paper. The spot of LSD fluoresced (glowed) brightly under the UV light. We played with the UV lamp and the LSD in a variety of ways, on a number of different papers. The LSD fluoresced when dry or wet.
Note that LSD is destroyed by UV light in the presence of oxygen, including in water or non-anhydrous alcohol (anhydrous alcohol absorbs water very quickly out of the air and does not remain anhydrous very long in normal environments). Although a brief exposure to UV will not substantially weaken a single tab of acid, exposure to sunlight or long exposure to a UV lamp will destroy LSD molecules, converting the d-LSD to lumi-LSD (totally inactive in man).
A drop of LSD on dull white paper shows that it glows brightly under ultraviolet (UV) light. The LSD glows under both shorter- (254 nm) and longer-wave (365 nm) UV. The light is a Spectroline UV-5NF.
On the left is bright white printer paper, which glowed brightly on its own. On the right is dull white paper with a drop of LSD on it. A handheld ultraviolet lamp is used to show that the drop of LSD glows brightly under UV light, but is similar in brightness to the untreated bright white printer paper. The LSD glows under both shorter- (254 nm) and longer-wave UV (365 nm). The lamp used is a Spectroline UV-5NF.
A drop of LSD from a fresh vial of liquid LSD (top) compared to a drop of LSD from a seven-year-old vial of LSD (bottom) that the owner reported as being "very weak". No clear UV response was visible from the old LSD spot.
On the left, a drop of LSD liquid containing approximately 50 micrograms per drop; on the right, a drop of 25I-NBOMe containing approximately 100 micrograms (shown under normal incandescent lights). Both were dropped onto dull white paper and then photographed under normal incandescent lighting. A piece of bright white paper can be seen under the left edge of the dull white paper.
On the left, a drop of LSD liquid containing approximately 50 micrograms per drop; on the right, a drop of lab-verified 25I-NBOMe containing approximately 100 micrograms. Both were dropped onto dull white paper and then viewed with a handheld UV lamp. The LSD spot reacted strongly to both shorter- (254 nm) and longer-wave (365 nm) uv light. Bright white paper can be seen glowing from the UV light under the left edge of the dull white paper. The drop of 25I-NBOMe did not glow.
2. Secondary, you may approve results of first test and check admixtures with help of Ehrlich and Hofmann test reagent. This test gives color reactions for LSD and some admixtures. In the link below you may find manual, explanation, video and pictures of the experiment.
If you did not find LSD or want to check very common Ketamine in your LSD product, you may provide test with Liebermann and Mandelin test reagents. Liebermann reagent gives yellow color, Mandelin gives orange color with Ketamine. All reagents can be produced by your own with helps of manual «Synthesis of materials for testing PAS».
3. Following the possible identification of the presence of LSD, the next stage in the analysis is the use of thin layer chromatography (TLC). This is employed because although it cannot be used to prove the identity of LSD, it can be used as a rapid, cost-effective method to eliminate those samples which gave a positive colour reaction in the presumptive tests but which do not contain this drug. These will be rarer when blotter acids are suspected, but may be more common where other substrates have been used as the carrier medium for the LSD itself. The extracts are prepared as described below.
Since the drug is impregnated onto a paper substrate, it is necessary to extract the material prior to analysis. In order to do this for presumptive testing or qualitative analysis, the extraction can simply be achieved by mixing the test sample for 30 s with sufficient methanol to achieve a sample concentration of 1 mg LSD/ml. Alternatively, a methanol/water (1:1) mixture has been reported to extract the LSD more efficiently. It should be remembered that any solid material should be removed from the extract prior to any chromatographic analysis being carried out. This can be achieved either by centrifugation or by passing the extract through a 5 µm filter or paper filter. The solution has evaporated. The residue should then be reconstituted in a known volume of solvent.
Activated silica gel plates containing a fluorescent dye (which fluoresces at 254 nm) are used. The materials to be tested, plus positive and negative controls, are spotted onto the plate and the chromatograms developed in the normal way. The solvent systems which can be used include system A - chloroform/methanol (9:1, by volume) and system B - chloroform/acetone (1:4, by volume). Following chromatogram development, the plates are removed from the chromatographic tank, the solvent fronts marked, and the plates air-dried and observed under short- (254 nm) and long- (360 nm) wavelength UV light. Under the former lighting conditions, LSD will appear as a dark spot on a light background, while under the latter conditions, it will appear as a bright spot on a dark background. The chromatogram should then be developed with Ehrlich’s reagent, with which indole alkaloids, including LSD, react to give a purple product. If a product gives the same results (retardation factor, R f, and colour reaction) as LSD under all of the conditions described. However, if the materials do not yield the same physicochemical responses as LSD under all conditions, then an exclusion has been achieved.
3. Following the possible identification of the presence of LSD, the next stage in the analysis is the use of thin layer chromatography (TLC). This is employed because although it cannot be used to prove the identity of LSD, it can be used as a rapid, cost-effective method to eliminate those samples which gave a positive colour reaction in the presumptive tests but which do not contain this drug. These will be rarer when blotter acids are suspected, but may be more common where other substrates have been used as the carrier medium for the LSD itself. The extracts are prepared as described below.
Since the drug is impregnated onto a paper substrate, it is necessary to extract the material prior to analysis. In order to do this for presumptive testing or qualitative analysis, the extraction can simply be achieved by mixing the test sample for 30 s with sufficient methanol to achieve a sample concentration of 1 mg LSD/ml. Alternatively, a methanol/water (1:1) mixture has been reported to extract the LSD more efficiently. It should be remembered that any solid material should be removed from the extract prior to any chromatographic analysis being carried out. This can be achieved either by centrifugation or by passing the extract through a 5 µm filter or paper filter. The solution has evaporated. The residue should then be reconstituted in a known volume of solvent.
Activated silica gel plates containing a fluorescent dye (which fluoresces at 254 nm) are used. The materials to be tested, plus positive and negative controls, are spotted onto the plate and the chromatograms developed in the normal way. The solvent systems which can be used include system A - chloroform/methanol (9:1, by volume) and system B - chloroform/acetone (1:4, by volume). Following chromatogram development, the plates are removed from the chromatographic tank, the solvent fronts marked, and the plates air-dried and observed under short- (254 nm) and long- (360 nm) wavelength UV light. Under the former lighting conditions, LSD will appear as a dark spot on a light background, while under the latter conditions, it will appear as a bright spot on a dark background. The chromatogram should then be developed with Ehrlich’s reagent, with which indole alkaloids, including LSD, react to give a purple product. If a product gives the same results (retardation factor, R f, and colour reaction) as LSD under all of the conditions described. However, if the materials do not yield the same physicochemical responses as LSD under all conditions, then an exclusion has been achieved.
Conclusion
This manual allows identifying LSD in product, determinate contamination substances and approve results by different methods such as UV, TLC and different color tests. The best ways to determine composition of LSD are GC-MS or LC-MS analysis.
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