NCJ Number
145896
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 6 Dated: (November 1993) Pages: 1286-1304
Date Published
1993
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The gas chromatographic detection of manufacturing impurities in illicit cocaine can be enhanced by chemical derivatization and the use of an electron-capture detector.
Abstract
After derivatization of illicit cocaine hydrochloride samples with heptafluorobutyric anhydride, the isolated heptafluorobutyrul derivatives of the cocaine impurities were subjected to capillary gas chromatography-electron capture detection (cGC-ECD) analysis. The on-column detection of cocaine impurities at low picogram levels was possible for compounds such as N-norcocaine and other N- demethylated impurities, amidic by-products, including N- benzoylnorecgonine methyl ester and tertiary amines having pydroxy functions. The latter compounds include the so- called hydroxycocaine impurities, believed to be new coca leaf alkaloids. Based on the cGC-ECD analyses of over 100 illicit cocaine hydrochloride samples, the authors conclude that the proposed method is effective for comparing unadulterated cocaine hydrochloride samples. The analysis should not preclude the use of the first 26 minutes of the cGC-ECD chromatograms, since this retention time can be useful when evaluating cocaine comparison chromatographic data. 4 figures and 78 references