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This combined laboratory and theoretical investigation focussed on a suite of crystalline phenethylamine-class molecules of forensic interest: amphetamine sulfate, levo- and dextro-methamphetamine hydrochloride, 3,4-methyl​enedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) hydrochloride, 3,4-methylenedioxy-​amphetamine (MDA) hydrochloride, and the hydrochloride salts of two substituted (4-fluoro and 4-methyl) methcathinones. Far-infrared (far-IR) spectra across the 30–600 cm−1 wavenumber range were recorded at the Australian Synchrotron light source. Resolved absorption profiles enabled vibrational features to be assigned via comparison to periodic density functional theory (p-DFT) performed at the B3LYP-D3/6-311 G(d) level. The calculations accurately reproduce the experimental spectra (frequencies and peak intensities) for ordered molecular crystal-type samples, such as methamphetamine stereoisomers and two substituted methcathinones. Significant band broadening for amphetamine sulfate was observed, likely due to crystal disorder, while MDMA and MDA showed convolved stretching modes from comparatively impure samples. For all seven molecular crystals investigated, previously unpublished peak assignments and relative band intensities have now been systematically compiled; completing the spectral region that lies between the more thoroughly studied terahertz and mid-IR regions. These results can be incorporated in spectral libraries and databases to enable far-IR statistical analyses to be performed on forensic samples of mixed or impure compounds.

Synchrotron far-infrared (far-IR) spectra were measured for a representative set of pharmaceutical-type molecular crystals: phenylethylamine hydrochloride salt, ephedrine base and its hydrochloride salt, and pseudoephedrine base and its hydrochloride salt. Resolved spectral profiles in the 30–600 cm−1 range allowed for comparison of absorption bands to simulated spectra obtained by periodic density function theory (DFT) code. The B3LYP-D3/6-311G(d) level of theory returned highly accurate predictions of the experimental far-IR spectra for well-ordered crystalline samples, including an agreement between relative peak intensities almost unprecedented for organic crystal systems of this size. Simulated far-IR spectra for the phenylethylamine hydrochloride and ephedrine base samples do not match to the same degree; potentially due to higher disorder within the solid-state. These comparisons to theory generally allowed for confident assignment of prominent absorption bands to low-lying vibrational modes. The experimental spectra (including those for related illicit drug compounds: amphetamine sulphate, methamphetamine hydrochloride, MDA hydrochloride, and MDMA hydrochloride), peak assignments, and relative band intensities are compiled and evaluated for their inclusion in spectral libraries and their application to chemometric analysis for mixed compounds of pharmaceutical and forensic interest.