Analysis of Powders Containing Illicit Drugs Using Magnetic Levitation. (5th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abrahamsson, Christoffer K.; Nagarkar, Amit; Fink, Michael J.; Preston, Daniel J.; Ge, Shencheng; Bozenko, Joseph S.; Whitesides, George M.
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie. Volume 132:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 884
• Page End: 891
• Publication Date: 2019-12-05
• Subjects: Chelate -- Dichtebasierte Trennung -- Illegale Drogen -- IR-Spektroskopie -- Magneto-Archimedes-Levitation; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.201910177
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0044-8249

Abstract

Abstract: Magneto‐Archimedes levitation (MagLev) enables the separation of powdered mixtures of illicit drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and its analogues), adulterants, and diluents based on density, and allows the presumptive identification of individual components. Small samples (mass <50 mg), with low concentrations of illicit drugs, present a particular challenge to analysis for forensic chemists. The MagLev device, a cuvette containing a solution of paramagnetic gadolinium(III) chelate in a non‐polar solvent, placed between two like‐poles‐facing NdFeB magnets, allowed separation of seven relevant compounds simultaneously. In particular, initial separation with MagLev, followed by characterization by FTIR‐ATR, enabled identification of fentanyl in a sample of fentanyl‐laced heroin (1.3 wt % fentanyl, 2.6 wt % heroin, and 96.1 wt % lactose). MagLev allows identification of unknown powders in mixtures and enables confirmatory identification based on structure‐specific techniques. Abstract : Drogen heben ab : Magneto‐Archimedes‐Levitation (MagLev) trennt Gemische pulverförmiger illegaler Drogen und ermöglicht eine dichtebasierte Identifizierung mutmaßlicher gestreckter Rauschgifte (z. B. 1.3 Gew.‐% Fentanyl in einem Gemisch aus Heroin und Lactose; siehe Bild). Die Kombination aus MagLev und FTIR ermöglicht eine bestätigende Identifikation illegaler Suchtmittel.