Synthetic opioids of the 2-benzylbenzimidazole structural class began to appear on the illicit drug market as early as 2019, with etonitazene representing the prototypical member of this emerging class of novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Known as nitazenes, this opioid subclass has grown in prevalence across the world and includes a variety of structural modifications. This poster aids the forensic community by describing the common naming conventions that are used for nitazenes, provides common nitazene fragments, tips for mass spectrometry interpretation, and shares a summary of known metabolism pathways.

In this guide for nitazene identification, naming, and metabolism, we cover:

• Mass Spectrum of Etonitazene and Tips for Interpretation
• Common Mass Spec Fragments
• Common Nitazene Naming Conventions
• Nitazene Metabolism