Carfentanil
Definition
A fentanyl analogue with a 4-carbomethoxy substituent on the piperidine ring; approximately 10,000 times the analgesic potency of morphine. Implicated in the 2002 Moscow theatre incident and US street fentanyl seizures from 2016.
- Class
- Fentanyl analogue, opioid agonist
- Relative potency
- Roughly 10,000 times morphine
- Notable incident
- 2002 Moscow theatre hostage crisis
- US relevance
- Detected in street fentanyl seizures from 2016 onward
Common questions
Why is carfentanil especially dangerous for first responders?+
Its extreme potency means microgram-level amounts can be active, so accidental skin contact or inhalation of airborne powder during scene handling or evidence processing carries a real overdose risk, requiring PPE and naloxone on hand.
How is carfentanil distinguished analytically from other fentanyl analogues?+
Confirmation relies on GC-MS or LC-MS/MS matching its specific mass spectral fragmentation and retention time against a reference standard, since it cannot be reliably separated from related analogues by presumptive colour tests alone.
Related terms
- 4-Anilinopiperidine Scaffold
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- Dose Heterogeneity
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- Marquis Reagent
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- MRM (Multiple Reaction Monitoring)
- A targeted MS/MS scan mode on a triple quadrupole that monitors specific precursor-to-product ion transitions, with two transitions per analyte (quantifier and...
- Nitazenes
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- SWGDRUG
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