Identification and Structural Elucidation of a Novel Pyrrolidinophenone-Based Designer Drug on the Illicit Market: α-BPVP

The identification of a new psychoactive substances (NPS) with a cathinone structure and a biphenyl substituent, found in seized powder from the black market, is here reported. By combining analytical techniques, including 1D and 2D NMR and HRMS, the compound was identified as 1-([1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one (α-BPVP), an α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP) analogue featuring a biphenyl group instead of the phenyl ring. This previously unreported molecule raises urgent legal and public health concerns, which warrants further toxicological investigation.