Forensic Drug Identification, Confirmation, and Quantification Using Fully Integrated Gas Chromatography with Fourier Transform Infrared and Mass Spectrometric Detection (GC-FT-IR-MS)

Abstract

This manuscript is a continuation of a recent study that described the use of fully integrated gas chromatography with direct deposition Fourier transform infrared detection and mass spectrometric detection (GC-FT-IR-MS) to identify and confirm the presence of sibutramine and AB-FUBINACA. The purpose of the current study was to employ the GC-FT-IR portion of the same instrument to quantify these compounds, thereby demonstrating the ability to identify, confirm, and quantify drug substances using a single GC-FT-IR-MS unit. The performance of the instrument was evaluated by comparing quantitative analytical figures of merit to those measured using an established, widely employed method for quantifying drug substances, high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The results demonstrated that GC-FT-IR was outperformed by HPLC-UV with regard to sensitivity, precision, and linear dynamic range (LDR). However, sibutramine and AB-FUBINACA concentrations measured using GC-FT-IR were not significantly different at the 95% confidence interval compared to those measured using HPLC-UV, which demonstrates promise for using GC-FT-IR as a semi-quantitative tool at the very least. The most significant advantage of GC-FT-IR compared to HPLC-UV is selectivity; a higher level of confidence regarding the identity of the analyte being quantified is achieved using GC-FT-IR. Additional advantages of using a single GC-FT-IR-MS instrument for identification, confirmation, and quantification are efficiency, increased sample throughput, decreased consumption of laboratory resources (solvents, chemicals, consumables, etc.), and thus cost.