title: Detection of Papaverine for the Possible Identification of Illicit Opium Cultivation.
abstract: Papaverine is a non-narcotic alkaloid found endemically and uniquely in the latex of the opium poppy. It is normally refined out of the opioids that the latex is typically collected for, hence its presence in a sample is strong prima facie evidence that the carrier from whom the sample was collected is implicated in the mass cultivation of poppies or the collection and handling of their latex. We describe an analysis technique combining surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with microfluidics for detecting papaverine at low concentrations and show that its SERS spectrum has unique spectroscopic features that allows its detection at low concentrations among typical opioids. The analysis requires approximately 2.5 min from sample loading to results, which is compatible with field use. The weak acid properties of papaverine hydrochloride were investigated, and Raman bands belonging to the protonated and unprotonated forms of the isoquinoline ring of papaverine were identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
authors.forename: Rustin Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Mirsafavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center , Edgewood, Maryland 21010, United States.
authors.forename: Neal D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.affiliation: Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center , Edgewood, Maryland 21010, United States.
authors.forename: Augustus W
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2271-8999
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Fountain
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
authors.forename: Carl D
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0701-2728
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Meinhart
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0212-108X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moskovits