Effect of liner properties on the analysis of lysergic acid diethylamide ( LSD ) analogs
Sarah A. Shuda
Journal of Forensic Sciences September 21, 2025 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.70188 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental comparison Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Eight LSD-related compounds and 10 street samples |
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Analytical chemistry journal Glass wool Gas chromatography |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Liners with packing material significantly increased peak areas of LSD-related compounds in gas chromatography, and Topaz deactivation caused a substantial decrease in peak area over repeated injections. |
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and analogs are psychedelic drugs commonly submitted to forensic chemistry laboratories. These drugs are often present on items of evidence at low concentrations, requiring sensitive analyses to positively identify their presence. The injection port of a gas chromatograph (GC) plays an important role in vaporizing and transferring substances to the column for separation and subsequent detection. The consumables in the inlet, specifically the liner, can influence the abundance and chromatography of compounds being analyzed. Twelve liners with varying geometries, packing materials, and deactivation chemistries were assessed by analyzing a mixture of eight LSD-related compounds and comparing the average peak areas. Liners containing packing materials yielded significantly higher peak areas as compared to those without. The geometry of the liner played a smaller role and affected results only with one deactivation when glass wool was not present. Base deactivation improved peak area when compared to standard and Topaz deactivation in straight liners with packing. Authentic samples were analyzed on liners with varying deactivation chemistries to determine the effect over a run of seven replicates of 10 street samples (70 sample injections). Peak area with base-deactivated liners and liners with standard deactivation remained consistent over time, whereas the liner with Topaz deactivation decreased in peak area 52-68% after the initial injection and demonstrated a decrease in peak area of 30-54% from the first injection to the final injection.
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 8
- Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. Elife March 2, 2021
- Preliminary Report on the Effects of a Low Dose of LSD on Resting-State Amygdala Functional Connectivity. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging December 20, 2019
- Acute Mood-Elevating Properties of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Volunteers: A Home-Administered Randomized Controlled Trial. Biological Psychiatry September 15, 2023
- Microdosing Psychedelics: Current Evidence From Controlled Studies. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging May 1, 2024
- Genie in a blotter: A comparative study of LSD and LSD analogues' effects and user profile Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental May 1, 2017
and 3 more in the library