Rapid screening of opioids in seized street drugs using ambient ionization high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract

Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, pose a continuing threat to public health and safety, and as such are of great interest to the forensic community. In this study, Direct Sample Analysis Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (DSA-TOF-MS) is evaluated to provide rapid identification of eighteen opioids including several fentanyl analogs. In-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) is performed to generate additional compound specific fragmentation. Precursor ion and two additional fragment ions were selected for each analyte for positive identification. In 80 out of 81 seized drug samples provided by the State of Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, DSA-TOFMS was in agreement with results from traditional GC-MS analysis, demonstrating its utility in forensic laboratories. In one case, furanyl fentanyl was identified in a seized drug sample with a mass accuracy of −0.593 ppm using the developed DSA-TOFMS method. Sample data was later compared to a certified reference material for confirmation.