Facial reconstruction

Search LJMU Research Online

Browse Repository | Browse E-Theses

Using Handheld Raman Spectroscopy Equipped with Orbital Raster Technology for Field Detection of Cocaine and its Impurities in Fingernails

Wilson, M, Assi, S, Al-Jumeily, D, Birkett, JW, Khan, I and Abbas, I (2022) Using Handheld Raman Spectroscopy Equipped with Orbital Raster Technology for Field Detection of Cocaine and its Impurities in Fingernails. Spectroscopy, 37 (S11). pp. 23-28. ISSN 0712-4813

[img]
Preview
Text
Using Handheld Raman Spectroscopy Equipped with Orbital Raster Technology for Field Detection of Cocaine and its Impurities in Fingernails .pdf - Accepted Version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Fingernails can accumulate drugs as a result of chronic exposure. This work employed Raman spectroscopy for detecting cocaine hydrochloride (HCl) and its impurities within fingernails, utilizing orbital raster scanning (ORS) technology, where the laser beam hits multiple positions within the sample. Doing so maintained sensitivity and ensured that more of each sample’s components were represented. Fingernails were spiked with powder and solution forms of cocaine HCl and its impurities, including benzocaine HCl, levamisole HCl, lidocaine HCl, and procaine HCl. The strong Raman scattering observed for these substances indicated a high drug accumulation in the fingernails. Key cocaine HCl bands were seen at 848, 874, and 898 cm-1 (C-C stretching-tropane ring), 1004 cm-1 (symmetric stretching-aromatic ring), 1278 cm-1 (C-N stretching), 1453 cm-1 (asymmetric CH3 deformation), and 1605 and 1712 cm-1 (C=C and C=O stretching). Principal components analysis (PCA) confirmed that 90% (nails spiked with drug powders) and 77.2% (nails spiked with drug solutions) were accounted for in the variance among the data. The findings showed that Raman spectroscopy identified the presence of cocaine HCl and its impurities within fingernails.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Cocaine; Drug detection; Fingernails; Raman; Spectroscopy
Subjects: R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA1001 Forensic Medicine. Medical jurisprudence. Legal medicine
R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Divisions: Engineering
Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences
Publisher: MJH Lifesciences
SWORD Depositor: A Symplectic
Date Deposited: 24 Apr 2023 11:01
Last Modified: 24 Apr 2023 11:01
DOI or ID number: 10.56530/spectroscopy.cs9787u9
URI: https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/18918
View Item View Item