Development of a Pencil Drawn Paper‐based Analytical Device to Detect Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)*†
Maria Fernanda Muzetti Ribeiro, Fátima Bento, Antônio José Ipólito, Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira
Journal of Forensic Sciences June 30, 2020 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14494 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Context archaeology Hair analysis Nanotechnology |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key findings | A paper-based electrode constructed from watercolor paper, graphite pencil, and silver paint detects LSD with limits of detection and quantification of 0.38 and 1.27 μmol/L, respectively, and can differentiate LSD from MDMA and methamphetamine. |
Abstract
Abstract The need for agile and proper identification of drugs of abuse has encouraged the scientific community to improve and to develop new methodologies. The drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is still widely used due to its hallucinogenic effects. The use of voltammetric methods to analyze narcotics has increased in recent years, and the possibility of miniaturizing the electrochemical equipment allows these methods to be applied outside the laboratory; for example, in crime scenes. In addition to portability, the search for affordable and sustainable materials for use in electroanalytical research has grown in recent decades. In this context, employing paper substrate, graphite pencil, and silver paint to construct paper‐based electrodes is a great alternative. Here, a paper‐based device comprising three electrodes was drawn on 300 g/m 2 watercolor paper with 8B pencils, and its efficiency was compared to the efficiency of a commercially available screen‐printed carbon electrode. Square wave voltammetry was used for LSD analysis in aqueous medium containing 0.05 mol/L LiClO 4 . The limits of detection and quantification were 0.38 and 1.27 μmol/L, respectively. Both electrodes exhibited a similar voltammetric response, which was also confirmed during analysis of a seized LSD sample, with recovery of less than 10%. The seized samples were previously analyzed by GCMS technique, employing the full scan spectra against the software spectral library. The electrode selectivity was also tested against 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine. It was possible to differentiate these compounds from LSD, indicating that the developed paper‐based device has potential application in forensic chemistry analyses.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Human participants | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Crystal structure of an LSD-bound human serotonin receptor | 2017 | Experimental study with structural biology and molecular dynamics simulations | |
| Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Sensitive Neuronal Units in the Midbrain Raphe Midbrain neurons containing serotonin | 1968 | Experimental study | |
| Connectome-harmonic decomposition of human brain activity reveals dynamical repertoire re-organization under LSD. Human brain | 2017 | Experimental study | |
| LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer Cancer patients | 1973 | Experimental study | n = 60 |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics November 11, 2008
- Argyreia nervosa (Burm. f.): Receptor profiling of lysergic acid amide and other potential psychedelic LSD-like compounds by computational and binding assay approaches Journal of Ethnopharmacology May 8, 2013
- GC/MS analysis of morning glory seeds freely in commerce: can they be considered “herbal highs”? Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences October 17, 2017