Selective electrochemical discrimination between dopamine and phenethylamine-derived psychotropic drugs using electrodes modified with an acyclic receptor containing two terminal 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazole rings

Electrochemical discrimination between dopamine and psychotropic drugs which have in common a skeletal structure of phenethylamine, can be obtained using acyclic receptors L-1 and L-2, containing two terminal 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazole rings. Upon attachment to graphite electrodes, L-1 and L-2 exhibit a well-defined, essentially reversible solid state electrochemistry in contact with aqueous media, based on electrolyte-assisted reduction processes involving successive cation and anion insertion/binding. As a result, a distinctive, essentially Nernstian electrochemical response is obtained for phenethylammonium ions of methamphetamine (METH), p-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), amphetamine (AMPH), mescaline (MES), homoveratrylamine (HOM), phenethylamine (PEA) and dopamine (DA) in aqueous media.