Analysis of Powders Containing Illicit Drugs Using Magnetic Levitation

Abrahamsson, Christoffer K.; Nagarkar, Amit; Fink, Michael J.; Preston, Daniel J.; Ge, Shencheng; Bozenko, Joseph S.; Whitesides, George M.

doi:10.1002/anie.201910177

Analysis of Powders Containing Illicit Drugs Using Magnetic Levitation

Journal Article · Tue Nov 12 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201910177· OSTI ID:1800028

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Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); OSTI
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Dulles, VA (United States). Special Testing and Research Laboratory

Magneto-Archimedes levitation (MagLev) enables the separation of powdered mixtures of illicit drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and its analogues), adulterants, and diluents based on density, and allows the presumptive identification of individual components. Small samples (mass <50 mg), with low concentrations of illicit drugs, present a particular challenge to analysis for forensic chemists. The MagLev device, a cuvette containing a solution of paramagnetic gadolinium(III) chelate in a non-polar solvent, placed between two like-poles-facing NdFeB magnets, allowed separation of seven relevant compounds simultaneously. In particular, initial separation with MagLev, followed by characterization by FTIR-ATR, enabled identification of fentanyl in a sample of fentanyl-laced heroin (1.3 wt % fentanyl, 2.6 wt % heroin, and 96.1 wt % lactose). MagLev allows identification of unknown powders in mixtures and enables confirmatory identification based on structure-specific techniques.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-01ER45862

OSTI ID:: 1800028

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1577192

Journal Information:: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 59; ISSN 1433-7851

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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