Erschienen in:
01.01.2019 | Original Article
Simultaneous chiral impurity analysis of methamphetamine and its precursors by supercritical fluid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
verfasst von:
Hiroki Segawa, Yuko T. Iwata, Tadashi Yamamuro, Kenji Kuwayama, Kenji Tsujikawa, Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Hiroyuki Inoue
Erschienen in:
Forensic Toxicology
|
Ausgabe 1/2019
Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten
Abstract
Purpose
Impurity profiling of seized illicit methamphetamine (MA) provides information on MA manufacturing methods in clandestine laboratories, and this drug intelligence supports formulation of strategies to control MA abuse. In the present study, we developed a simultaneous chiral analysis method for MA and its precursors using supercritical fluid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry equipped with an enantioselective stationary phase.
Methods
Chromatographic conditions were optimized by systematic investigation of the flow rate, temperature, back pressure, co-solvent, additive, and mobile phase composition. The ability of the developed method was evaluated using standard and authentic illicit MA.
Results
The use of a chiral selector in the stationary phase allowed for simultaneous chiral differentiation of MA and its precursors including ephedrine, norephedrine, chloropseudoephedrine, methylephedrine, dimethylamphetamine, and amphetamine. Sufficient limit of detection, repeatability of retention time, and linearity were achieved. A switching valve interfacing a chromatograph and a mass spectrometer enabled analyzing large amounts of MA directly. The application to the authentic illicit MA samples was achieved and revealed the existence of impurities, which was not detected by conventional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.
Conclusions
The developed supercritical fluid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method could be a powerful analytical tool for MA impurity profiling.