A direct analysis method using sheath flow probe electrospray ionisation ‐mass spectrometry (sfPESI‐MS) to detect drug residues from fingerprint forensic gel lifts

This study demonstrates the application of an ambient ionisation method, sheath flow probe electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (sfPESI-MS), to the direct analysis of gel-lifted fingerprints. A model drug compound (zolpidem) is successfully detected from gel-lifted prints from three different surface types: glass, metal, and paper. The surface activity-based separation associated with probe electrospray approaches is shown to resolve zolpidem ions from background phthalate species, significantly enhancing the response obtained from the gel-lifter. A depletion series experiment shows that the drug residue can be detected with up to 100% efficiency after eight consecutive contacts; however, detection efficiency drops to 20% after 30 contacts. The developed approach has potential application to analysis of historical gel-lifters to obtain additional chemical information.
Source: Drug Testing and Analysis - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: SPECIAL ISSUE ‐ RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research