Analysis of Drugs of Abuse by AccuTOF™ Dual ESI LC/TOF Mass Spectrometry
Introduction
For identification of drugs of abuse in forensic science, the unambiguous identification of chemical substances is crucial. The new AccuTOF™ Dual ESI LC/TOF-MS system offers easy exact-mass measurements and elemental composition determinations. A robust design and stable time-of-flight mass analyzer are combined with a detection system that provides high sensitivity and high dynamic range[1]. We used this system for analyzing the samples of drug substances containing the opiates and stimulants. The detection limit for codeine is 1.25 pg/μL. The mass accuracy is smaller than 3 ppm over a wide concentration range, from 1.25 pg/μL to 10 ng/uL.
Experimental
The system included a JEOL AccuTOF™ Dual ESI timeof- flight mass spectrometry system and an Agilent 1100 HPLC. All instruments were controlled by a JEOL MassCenter™. All solvents used were of HPLC grade. The standard solutions were purchased from Alltech (Deerfield, IL) and diluted in mobile phase A with the concentrations ranging from 1.25 ng/mL to 10 μg/mL.