Journal Published Online: 01 November 1995
Volume 40, Issue 6

Distinguishing Amphetamine and Methamphetamine from Other Interfering Sympathomimetic Amines After Various Fluoro Derivatization and Analysis by Gas Chromatography-Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

CODEN: JFSCAS

Abstract

Misidentification of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as methamphetamine has been reported because of similar retention times of their derivatives in the gas chromatograph as well as very similar mass fragmentation pattern. This problem of misidentification is avoided by chemical ionization mass spectrometry using methane as the reagent gas. Chemical ionization mass spectral patterns of trifluoroacetyl, pentafluoropropionyl, heptafluorobutyryl and perfluorooctanoyl derivatives of amphetamine, methamphetamine, the internal standard d8-methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine were studied after extraction from human urine. The mass spectral patterns of all these drugs are distinctively different in chemical ionization mode from commonly interfering sympathomimetic amines, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phentermine and phenylpropanolamine.

Author Information

Dasgupta, A
Pathology Services University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, NM
Gardner, C
University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, NM
Pages: 5
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Stock #: JFS13880J
ISSN: 0022-1198
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13880J