NCJ Number
226844
Journal
Problems of Forensic Sciences Volume: 69 Dated: 2007 Pages: 71-89
Date Published
2007
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews analytical approaches in current use for profiling ecstasy tablets (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]).
Abstract
A comparison of the published procedures for profiling ecstasy tablets shows that they differ in many parameters, including pH of the buffer used for dissolution of the sample and the extracting agent. It may be possible that profiling ecstasy tablets with different procedures could lead to the distinctive linking of samples. The organic impurity profiling of ecstasy tablets is commonly performed by liquid-liquid extraction followed by analysis with gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or with flame-ionization detection. The strength of high-performance liquid chromatography for ecstasy profiling is comparable with gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection. When diode-array detection is replaced by mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography can be a supplementary method to GC-MS, or even an alternative method for ecstasy profiling. Of the methods used for elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is the most common. Inorganic impurity profiling can be an additional source of information about the samples. It can also simplify the interpretation of the results of the analysis of organic impurities. The problems are repeatability of results and the influence of chemicals added to an active substance after its synthesis. Results of the analysis of 15N/14N isotopic ratio of MDMA extracted from ecstasy tablets by means of gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry were promising. This method enables the detection of synthetic route and comparison of samples; therefore, it can also be a supplementary method to GC-MS. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy have some advantages over the methods previously described, but the possibilities of their application in routine procedures for profiling ecstasy tablets seems to be limited. 2 tables and 30 references