Forensic identification of LSD typically relies on the Ehrlich spot test, which is nonspecific and cannot distinguish LSD from the uncontrolled substance 9,10-dihydro-LSD, recently found in Brazilian blotters. This work used easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS) to characterize LSD and 9,10-dihydro-LSD directly from blotter surfaces. Of 41 blotters analyzed by EASI-MS, 28 tested positive for LSD, seven for 9,10-dihydro-LSD, and six for neither. Results were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Combining thin-layer chromatography with EASI-MS proved a simple, powerful screening tool for forensic drug analysis.
A new designer drug, 25I-NBOMe, was chemically profiled using multiple analytical techniques. Thin layer chromatography identified spots for 25C-, 25B-, and 25I-NBOMe compounds, all with the same retention factor of about 0.50, but no spots for 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine, or lysergic acid diethylamide. ATR-FTIR preserved the material's physical-chemical properties, while GC-MS and ESI-MS offered better analytical selectivity. ESI(+)FT-ICR MS determined the exact mass (m/z 428.1706 for [M + H]+), molecular formula (C18H22INO3), degree of unsaturation (DBE = 8), and chemical structure via collision-induced dissociation. ATR-FTIR and CID results suggested the presence of isomers, with a second structure proposed as an isomer of 25I-NBOMe.