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Forensic Toxicology
Published in: Forensic Toxicology 2/2018

Open Access 01-07-2018 | Original Article

Rapid detection of tert-butoxycarbonyl-methamphetamine by direct analysis in real time time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Authors: Ken-ichi Sugie, Daisuke Kurakami, Mamoru Akutsu, Koichi Saito

Published in: Forensic Toxicology | Issue 2/2018

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Abstract

Purpose

Phenethylamines constitute the majority of drug-related arrests in Japan. Recently, the smuggling of tert-butoxycarbonyl (t-Boc)-protected phenethylamines has become of increasing concern, because of the difficult identification of these masked substances.

Methods

In this study, a rapid and accurate method for the detection of t-Boc-methamphetamine (t-Boc-MP) by direct analysis in real time–time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (DART–TOF-MS) was developed. The efficiency of the method was evaluated by comparison with conventional gas chromatography–MS (GC–MS) and liquid chromatography–TOF-MS (LC–TOF-MS) techniques.

Results

During GC–MS analysis of t-Boc-MP, MP was generated in the injection port, which can lead to an analytical error. In the LC–TOF-MS spectrum, fragment ions were detected, which were generated by McLafferty rearrangement in the ion source. On the other hand, in the DART–TOF-MS analysis of t-Boc-MP, pyrolysis could be suppressed by using a micro-syringe injection method, and the fragment ions generated by McLafferty rearrangement were still observed. Moreover, protonated t-Boc-MP could be detected.

Conclusions

Hence, DART–TOF-MS provides a rapid and accurate method for the detection of t-Boc-MP, allowing suppression of the pyrolysis reaction and identification of both fragment ions and protonated t-Boc-MP. To our knowledge, this is the first report for detecting t-Boc-MP by MS techniques.
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Metadata
Title
Rapid detection of tert-butoxycarbonyl-methamphetamine by direct analysis in real time time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Authors
Ken-ichi Sugie
Daisuke Kurakami
Mamoru Akutsu
Koichi Saito
Publication date
01-07-2018
Publisher
Springer Japan
Published in
Forensic Toxicology / Issue 2/2018
Print ISSN: 1860-8965
Electronic ISSN: 1860-8973
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-017-0400-y

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