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Capillary electrophoresis analysis of isomeric truxillines and other high molecular weight impurities in illicit cocaine
Author(s) -
Lurie Ira S.,
Hays Patrick A.,
Casale John F.,
Moore James M.,
Castell David M.,
Chan King C.,
Issaq Haleem J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/elps.1150190110
Subject(s) - capillary electrophoresis , impurity , chemistry , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , mass spectrometry , organic chemistry
The analysis of by‐products and impurities in illicit cocaine, including the isomeric truxillines, is important for derivation of both strategic and tactical intelligence. In the present study, various capillary electrophoresis techniques were investigated for this purpose. The use of the anionic β‐cyclodextrin sulfobutyl ether IV as a run buffer additive at pH 8.6 gave a good separation of the truxillines and similar high molecular weight impurities in less than eight minutes. These impurities were first isolated from the bulk cocaine matrix using liquid‐liquid extraction and size‐exclusion high performance liquid chromatography. There was a red shift in the UV spectra obtained for the truxillines using photodiode array (PDA) UV detection during CE analysis. This anomalous behavior is attributed to photo‐degradation of the truxillines during the PDA‐UV irradiation process. Laser‐induced fluorescence detection using a UV krypton/fluoride laser provided greater selectivity and sensitivity versus UV detection for certain uncharacterized high molecular weight impurities.