Enhanced Trace-Fiber Color Discrimination by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry: A Quantitative and Qualitative Tool for the Analysis of Dyes Extracted from Sub-millimeter Nylon Fibers

Abstract

The application of electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to trace-fiber color analysis is explored using acidic dyes commonly employed to color nylon-based fibers, as well as extracts from dyed nylon fibers. Qualitative information about constituent dyes and quantitative information about the relative amounts of those dyes present on a single fiber become readily available using this technique. Sample requirements for establishing the color-identity of different samples (i.e., comparative trace-fiber analysis) are shown to be sub-millimeter. Absolute verification of dye-mixture identity (beyond the comparison of molecular weights derived from ESI-MS) can be obtained by expanding the technique to include tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). For dyes of unknown origin, the ESI-MS/MS analyses may offer insights into the chemical structure of the compound--information not available from chromatographic techniques alone. This research demonstrates that ESI-MS is viable as a sensitive technique for distinguishing dye constituents extracted from a minute amount of trace fiber evidence. A protocol is suggested to establish/refute the proposition that two fibers--one of which is available in minute quantity only--are of the same origin.