Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) consist of a molecular recognition technology with applicability in different areas, including forensic chemistry. Among the forensic applications, the use of MIP in biological fluid analysis has gained prominence. Biological fluids are complex samples that generally require a pre-treatment to eliminate interfering agents to improve the results of the analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe consumption of design drugs, frequently known as new psychoactive substances (NPS), has increased considerably worldwide, becoming a severe issue for the responsible governmental agencies. These illicit substances can be defined as synthetic compounds produced in clandestine laboratories in order to act as analogs of schedule drugs mimetizing its chemical structure and improving its pharmacological effects while hampering the control and making regulation more complicated. In this way, the development of new methodologies for chemical analysis of NPS drugs is indispensable to determine a novel class of drugs arising from the underground market.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: Ambient mass spectrometry techniques are much required in forensic chemistry to evaluate evidence with low analytical interference, high confidence, and accuracy. However, traditional methodologies, such as paper spray ionization, have been shown to present low sensitivity in the analysis of illicit drugs from biological matrices.
Methods: Fiber spray ionization mass spectrometry (FSI-MS) was developed using a capillary polypropylene (PP) hollow fiber.