title: Analysis of drugs of forensic interest with capillary zone electrophoresis/time-of-flight mass spectrometry based on the use of non-volatile buffers.
abstract: The present work is aimed at investigating the influence of the background electrolyte composition and concentration on the separation efficiency and resolution and mass spectrometric detection of illicit drugs in a capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (CZE-ESI-TOF MS) system. The effect of phosphate, borate and Tris buffers on the separation and mass spectrometry response of a mixture of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methadone, cocaine, morphine, codeine and 6-monoacetylmorphine was studied, in comparison with a reference ammonium formate separation buffer. Inorganic non-volatile borate and Tris buffers proved hardly suitable for capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) analysis, but quite unexpectedly ammonium phosphate buffers showed good separation and ionization performances for all the analytes tested. Applications of this method to real samples of hair from drug addicts are also provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine,  Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gottardo
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mikšík
authors.forename: Zeineb
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aturki
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sorio
authors.forename: Catia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seri
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fanali
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tagliaro
mesh_terms: D002021:Buffers; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000379:methods*; D053593:Forensic Toxicology / Q000379:methods*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D010710:Phosphates