Analysis of illicit drugs by direct ablation of solid samples

C. BERMUDEZ; C. CABEZAS; S. MATA; M. BERDAKIN; J. M. TEJEDOR; J. L. ALONSO

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY

IM PUBLICATIONS

Año: 2015 vol. 21 p. 775 - 781

1469-0667

Analysis of illicit drugs arises as an important field of work given the high social impacts presented by drugs in the modern society. Directlaser ablation of solid compounds allows their analysis without sampling or preparation procedures. For that purpose, an experimentalset-up that combines laser ablation with time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been constructed very recently to perform studies onthe mass spectra of such drugs as 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine, commonly known as MDMA or ecstasy. Analysis of theobserved fragmentation pattern in mass spectra may elucidate the ablation-induced photofragmentation phenomena produced, whichdiffer from those previously observed with conventional ionization methods.