Chemical profiling of dispersed fentanyl analogues sampled from indoor surfaces using multivariate data classification to determine synthesis methods

Abstract

Fentanyl and its analogues are potent synthetic opioids used for pain relief or as anaesthetics in healthcare. However, they are also illicitly synthesised for use as recreational drugs. Dispersed fentanyl agents may be sampled as a means of collecting evidence of illegal fentanyl use. Previously, we showed that synthesis methods of fentanyl analogues could be classified based on impurity profiles, irrespective of acyl derivatization, using a multivariate classification model. In this study, we investigated whether traces of fentanyl analogues on surfaces could be sampled and the associated impurity profiles extracted. Fentanyl analogues were dispersed onto three different floor surfaces and one cloth surface commonly found in indoor environments. Samples were collected from hard surfaces after 24 h using cotton swabs. Analogues were extracted from the cotton swabs or directly from cloth surfaces, analysed by GC–MS and UHPLC–HRMS, and the resulting chemical profiles were classified using a previously developed classification model. The findings showed that the impurity profiles of swab-samples collected from different surfaces exposed to fentanyl could be used to determine the method used to synthesise specific fentanyl analogues.