A Comparison of Single Quadrupole Mass Detection and Diode Array Ultraviolet Detection Interfaced to Uultra-high Performance Supercritical Chromatography for the Quantitative Analysis of Synthetic Cathinones

• NCJ Number: 253432
• Date Published: August 2018
• Length: 5 pages
• Author(s): Lauriane Tremeau-Cayel; Stephanie Carnes; Moses S Schanfield
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical), Report (Study/Research), Report (Grant Sponsored), Program/Project Description
• Grant Number(s): 2014-R2-CX-K009
• Award: The Utility of Ultra High Performance Supercritical Fluid Chromatography for the Analysis of Seized Drugs: Application to Synthetic Cannabinoids and Bath Salts

Annotation

This project compared single quadruple mass spectrometry and diode array-ultraviolet (PDA-UV) detection interfaced to ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography for the quantitative analysis of synthetic cathinones.

Abstract

Synthetic cathinones, also known as bath salts, are derived from cathinone, a component of the khat plant. For 15 controlled solutes linearity, repeatability, and limits of detection were determined using both UV and MS detection. Quantitation studies were performed, using the above detectors for 19 mixtures of up to 4 of the above compounds with an adulterant to simulate seized samples. MS detection provided approximately an order of magnitude greater linearity range and allowed for two to three orders of magnitude lower limits of detection than UV detection. Both detection techniques exhibited similar results of analysis and comparable repeatability. The latter detection mode which provided significantly high linearity correlation coefficients would be preferred for quantitative analysis. (publisher abstract modified)