%0 Journal Article
%T Thin layer chromatography coupled to paper spray ionization mass spectrometry for cocaine and its adulterants analysis.
%A De Carvalho TC
%A Tosato F
%A Souza LM
%A Santos H
%A Merlo BB
%A Ortiz RS
%A Rodrigues RR
%A Filgueiras PR
%A França HS
%A Augusti R
%A Romão W
%A Vaz BG
%J Forensic Sci Int
%V 262
%N 0
%D May 2016
%M 26970868
%F 2.676
%R 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.02.039
%X Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a simple and inexpensive type of chromatography that is extensively used in forensic laboratories for drugs of abuse analysis. In this work, TLC is optimized to analyze cocaine and its adulterants (caffeine, benzocaine, lidocaine and phenacetin) in which the sensitivity (visual determination of LOD from 0.5 to 14mgmL(-1)) and the selectivity (from the study of three different eluents: CHCl3:CH3OH:HCOOHglacial (75:20:5v%), (C2H5)2O:CHCl3 (50:50v%) and CH3OH:NH4OH (100:1.5v%)) were evaluated. Aiming to improve these figures of merit, the TLC spots were identified and quantified (linearity with R(2)>0.98) by the paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS-MS), reaching now lower LOD values (>1.0μgmL(-1)). The method developed in this work open up perspective of enhancing the reliability of traditional and routine TLC analysis employed in the criminal expertise units. Higher sensitivity, selectivity and rapidity can be provided in forensic reports, besides the possibility of quantitative analysis. Due to the great simplicity, the PS(+)-MS technique can also be coupled directly to other separation techniques such as the paper chromatography and can still be used in analyses of LSD blotter, documents and synthetic drugs.