title: Characterization of heroin samples by 1H NMR and 2D DOSY 1H NMR.
abstract: Twenty-four samples of heroin from different illicit drug seizures were analyzed using proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ((1)H NMR) and two-dimensional diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (2D DOSY) (1)H NMR. A careful assignment and quantification of (1)H signals enabled a comprehensive characterization of the substances present in the samples investigated: heroin, its main related impurities (6-acetylmorphine, acetylcodeine, morphine, noscapine and papaverine) and cutting agents (caffeine and acetaminophen in nearly all samples as well as lactose, lidocaine, mannitol, piracetam in one sample only), and hence to establish their spectral signatures. The good agreement between the amounts of heroin, noscapine, caffeine and acetaminophen determined by (1)H NMR and gas chromatography, the reference method in forensic laboratories, demonstrates the validity of the (1)H NMR technique. In this paper, 2D DOSY (1)H NMR offers a new approach for a whole characterization of the various components of these complex mixtures.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de RMN Biomédicale, Laboratoire SPCMIB (UMR CNRS 5068), Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balayssac
authors.affiliation: Groupe de RMN Biomédicale, Laboratoire SPCMIB (UMR CNRS 5068), Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Retailleau
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Police Scientifique/Laboratoire de Police Scientifique de Toulouse, 23 boulevard de l'Embouchure, BP 92162, 31021 Toulouse cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Police Scientifique/Laboratoire de Police Scientifique de Toulouse, 23 boulevard de l'Embouchure, BP 92162, 31021 Toulouse cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Escot
authors.affiliation: Groupe de RMN Biomédicale, Laboratoire SPCMIB (UMR CNRS 5068), Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: Groupe de RMN Biomédicale, Laboratoire SPCMIB (UMR CNRS 5068), Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malet-Martino
authors.affiliation: Groupe de RMN Biomédicale, Laboratoire SPCMIB (UMR CNRS 5068), Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex, France. Electronic address: gilard@chimie.ups-tlse.fr.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gilard
keywords: (1)H NMR; 2D DOSY (1)H NMR; Heroin; Illicit drugs; Profiling