Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry in the Analysis of Designer Drugs

Abstract

This chapter deals with the application of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the identification of designer drugs and problems that may arise when using it. Gas chromatography is a perfect separating technique but provides no molecular identification information about the chromatographed compound. GC-MS has become a well-established analytical technique in a large variety of forensic applications and is now a method of choice used in many working analytical procedures in forensic laboratories. Derivatization serves several important functions in the GC-MS analysis. Derivatization may also prevent the phenomenon of transesterification, which has been observed when injections of the underivatized drugs have been made with methanol used as a solvent or even spontaneously when stocked in a methanolic solution. Identification of designer drugs using GC-MS is based on mass spectra and retention times of the analyzed compounds. In order to compare the retention times between the analyses or among the instruments, retention time locking is introduced.