title: Analysis of new synthetic drugs by ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: Characteristic ion mobility mass spectrometry data, reduced mobility, and limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) were determined for six synthetic drugs and cocaine by ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry (IM-TOF-MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). The studied synthetic illicit drugs recently appeared on the recreational drug market as designer drugs and were methylone, 4-MEC (4'-methylethcathinone), 3,4-MDPV (3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone), JWH-210 [4-ethylnaphthalen-1-yl-(1-pentylindol-3-yl)methanone], JWH-250 [2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethanone], and JWH-203 [1-pentyl-3-(2'-chlorophenylacetyl) indole]. Absolute reduced mobilities in nitrogen were 1.35, 1.28, 1.41, 1.30, 1.18, 0.98, 1.09, and 1.07 cm2V(-1)s(-1), for methylone [M-H]+, methylone [M+H]+, 4-MEC [M-H]+, 4-MEC [M+H]+, 3,4-MDPV [M+H]+, JWH-210 [M+H]+, JWH-250 [M+H]+, and JWH-203 [M+H]+, respectively. Selected illicit drugs are easily identified by IM-TOF-MS during a 100s analysis. Relative Limits of detection ranged from 4 to 400 nM are demonstrated for these compounds. Such relative limits of detection correspond to 14 pg to 2 ng absolute limits of detection. Better detection limits are obtained in APCI mode for all the illicit drugs except cocaine. ESI mode was found to be preferable for the IM-TOF-MS detection of cocaine at trace levels. A single sample analysis is completed in an order of magnitude less time than that for conventional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry approach. The application allows one to consider IM-TOF-MS as a good candidate for a method to determine quickly the recently surfaced designer drugs marketed on the internet as "bath salts," "spice," and "herbal blends".
authors.forename: Alexey A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sysoev
authors.forename: Sergey S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Poteshin
authors.forename: Denis M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Chernyshev
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Karpov
authors.forename: Yuriy B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Tuzkov
authors.forename: Vyacheslav V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Kyzmin
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sysoev
mesh_terms: D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015198:Designer Drugs; D013287:Illicit Drugs