Rapid on-site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device

Parrilla, Marc; Slosse, Amorn; Echelpoel, Robin Van; Montiel, Noelia Felipe; Langley, Amelia R.; Durme, Filip Van; Wael, Karolien De

doi:10.20944/preprints202202.0300.v1

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Because this technology is based on oxidation or reduction characteristics instead of light absorption, it is independent of the color of the sample material. 22 This way, detection of MDMA 23 and heroin 24 is possible irrespective of sample shade. In line with the color tests, a drawback of electrochemical detection is the required subsampling and the application of chemicals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A technique successfully applied in the on‐site analysis of colored samples is electrochemical detection. Because this technology is based on oxidation or reduction characteristics instead of light absorption, it is independent of the color of the sample material 22 . This way, detection of MDMA 23 and heroin 24 is possible irrespective of sample shade.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

On‐site forensic analysis of colored seized materials: Detection of brown heroin and MDMA‐tablets by a portable NIR spectrometer

Kranenburg

Ramaker²,

Asten³

2022

Drug Testing and Analysis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The increasing workload for forensic laboratories and the expanding complexity of the drug market necessitates efficient approaches to detect drugs of abuse. Identification directly at the scene of crime enables investigative forces to make rapid decisions. Additionally, on‐site identification of the material also leads to considerable efficiency and cost benefits. As such, paperwork, transportation, and time‐consuming analysis in a laboratory may be avoided. Near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is an analysis technique suitable for rapid drug testing using portable equipment. A possible limitation of spectroscopic analysis concerns the complexity of seized materials. NIR measurements represent composite spectra for mixtures and diagnostic spectral features can be obscured by excipients such as colorants. Herein, a NIR‐based (1300–2600 nm) detection of heroin and MDMA in colored casework (i.e., brown powders and ecstasy tablets) using a portable analyzer is presented. The application includes a multistage data analysis model based on the net analyte signal (NAS) approach. This identification model was specifically designed for mixture analysis and requires a limited set of pure reference spectra only. Consequently, model calibration efforts are reduced to a minimum. A total of 549 forensic samples was tested comprising brown heroine samples and a variety of colored tablets with different active ingredients. This investigation led to a >99% true negative and >93% true positive rate for heroin and MDMA. These results show that accurate on‐site detection in colored casework is possible using NIR spectroscopy combined with an efficient data analysis model. These findings may eventually help in the transition of routine forensic laboratories from laboratory‐based techniques to portable equipment operated on scene.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On‐site forensic analysis of colored seized materials: Detection of brown heroin and MDMA‐tablets by a portable NIR spectrometer

Kranenburg

Ramaker²,

Asten³

2022

Drug Testing and Analysis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Aptasensor Integrated with Two-Dimensional Nanomaterial for Selective and Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Ketamine Drug

Suleman,

Anzar,

Patil

et al. 2024

Micromachines

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ketamine is one of the most commonly abused drugs globally, posing a severe risk to social stability and human health, not only it is being used for recreational purposes, but this tasteless, odourless, and colourless drug also facilitates sexual assaults when it is mixed with drinks. Ketamine abuse is a threat for safety, and this misuse is one of the main uses of the drug. The crucial role of ketamine detection is evident in its contributions to forensic investigations, law enforcement, drug control, workplace integrity, and public health. Electrochemical sensors have gained considerable interest among researchers due to their various advantages, such as low cost and specificity, and particularly screen-printed paper-based electrode (SPBE) biosensors have gained attention. Here, we reported an ePAD (electrochemical paper-based analytical device) for detecting the recreational drug ketamine. The advantages of using a paper-based electrode are that it reduces the electrode’s production costs and is disposable and environmentally friendly. At the same time, nanographite sheets (NGSs) assisted in amplifying the signals generated in the cyclic voltammetry system when ketamine was present. This ePAD was developed by immobilizing a ketamine aptamer on NGS electrodes. The characterization of proper synthesized NGSs was performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), XRD (X-ray Diffraction), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Electrochemical techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), were employed to validate the results and confirm each attachment. Furthermore, the versatility of the proposed sensor was explored in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The developed sensor showed a low LOD of about 0.01 μg/mL, and the linear range was between 0.01 and 5 μg/mL. This approach offers a valid diagnostic technique for onsite service with minimal resources. This cost effective and portable platform offers desirable characteristics like sensitivity and selectivity and can also be used for POC (point of care) testing to help in the quick identification of suspicious samples and for testing at trafficking sites, amusement parks, and by the side of the road.

show abstract

Forensic Analysis of Synthetic Cathinones on Nanomaterials-Based Platforms: Chemometric-Assisted Voltametric and UPLC-MS/MS Investigation

Dragan,

Feier,

Tertiș

et al. 2023

Nanomaterials

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Synthetic cathinones (SCs) are a group of new psychoactive substances often referred to as “legal highs” or “bath salts”, being characterized by a dynamic change, new compounds continuously emerging on the market. This creates a lack of fast screening tests, making SCs a constant concern for law enforcement agencies. Herein, we present a fast and simple method for the detection of four SCs (alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, N-ethylhexedrone, 4-chloroethcathinone, and 3-chloromethcathinone) based on their electrochemical profiles in a decentralized manner. In this regard, the voltametric characterization of the SCs was performed by cyclic and square wave voltammetry. The elucidation of the SCs redox pathways was successfully achieved using liquid chromatography coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry. For the rational identification of the ideal experimental conditions, chemometric data processing was employed, considering two critical qualitative and quantitative variables: the type of the electrochemical platform and the pH of the electrolyte. The analytical figures of merit were determined on standard working solutions using the optimized method, which exhibited wide linear ranges and LODs suitable for confiscated sample screening. Finally, the performance of the method was evaluated on real confiscated samples, the resulting validation parameters being similar to those obtained with another portable device (i.e., Raman spectrometer).

show abstract

Rapid on-site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device

Cited by 3 publications

References 28 publications

On‐site forensic analysis of colored seized materials: Detection of brown heroin and MDMA‐tablets by a portable NIR spectrometer

On‐site forensic analysis of colored seized materials: Detection of brown heroin and MDMA‐tablets by a portable NIR spectrometer

Aptasensor Integrated with Two-Dimensional Nanomaterial for Selective and Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Ketamine Drug

Forensic Analysis of Synthetic Cathinones on Nanomaterials-Based Platforms: Chemometric-Assisted Voltametric and UPLC-MS/MS Investigation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About