The number of overdose deaths caused by fentanyl, a potent opioid, has steadily increased. Illicit fentanyl, an active ingredient in counterfeit pain medications, including Norco, Oxycontin, and Xanax, is responsible for a portion of this increase. Because there are different synthetic routes and the synthesis of illicit fentanyl is not controlled, it is more likely to contain impurities or byproducts that may allow determination of the source. In this study, ten impurities were used to create three mixtures representing different synthesis methods. An LC-MS/MS analysis technique was created to determine all ten impurities simultaneously from both dissolution in water and human whole blood. The identity of the initial impurity mixture based on the identity of impurities and their corresponding concentrations was accomplished. This study can be applied to the tracing of other illicit or counterfeit drugs back to their source.

Tracing illicit fentanyl through synthetic impurities via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.