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 portable electrochemical method using screen-printed carbon graphite electrodes and differential pulse voltammetry can selectively detect ketamine in forensic samples. Ketamine shows two oxidation peaks and, for the first time, three distinct reduction processes, two of which allow reliable differentiation from other drugs like MDMA, MDA, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The method is highly reproducible, with relative standard deviations below 3.0% for peak currents and below 1.0% for peak potentials. Detection limits are 0.5 μmol L-1 for oxidation and 4.5 μmol L-1 for reduction. It successfully detects ketamine in UNODC-certified reference material and seized street samples, making it suitable for portable screening.