ABSTRACT
Benzyl and phenylpiperazines are classes of compounds that offer the user similar effects to those sought from amphetamines and ring-substituted amphetamines, reportedly without some of the side effects. Street samples of piperazines are often found in combination with each other in varying proportions. Piperazines are relatively simple compounds to manufacture from readily available starting materials. Piperazine-based drugs are not controlled by individual countries on a global basis. Prior to carrying out any chemical examinations of the drugs it is good practice to describe the sample in full. The extraction of controlled substances from street samples presents particular challenges because of the mixtures of drugs found in such samples. It is possible to analyze piperazines by thin-layer chromatography. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection has been applied to the analysis of piperazines on a number of occasions. A very limited study has been made of the analysis of piperazines by capillary zone electrophoresis.
