Synthetic Drug Analysis via Electron and Chemical Ionization High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

This application note details the use of LECO's Pegasus® GC-HRT high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HR-TOFMS) equipped with both electron impact (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) sources for the analysis of synthetic drugs. The study demonstrates the advantages of employing both ionization techniques to enhance compound identification and structural elucidation in complex forensic samples. Case studies include the analysis of a white powder suspected to contain cathinones and a dark, solid material scraped from a confiscated drug pipe. The application of EI and CI modes facilitated the identification of over 130 compounds, including novel and illicit substances, showcasing the efficacy of HR-TOFMS in forensic toxicology.