In recent years the use of synthetic cathinone drugs , known as �bath salts�, and synthetic amphetamines has been increasing in the United States. One challenge facing law enforcement is the structural diversity of these classes of drugs, making it difficult to stay ahead of manufacturers and prosecute offenders. Recent work by Taplin et al. showed Normal Raman (NR) and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) were powerful methods to identify amphetamine drugs. In this work we present the NR and SERS spectra of a series of synthetic amphetamine and cathinone drugs. Normal Raman can be used for identification of drug class and in some cases individual isomers. Surface Enhanced Raman allows for increased sensitivity and detection at lower concentrations. This analysis will support current work in crime labs using Infrared Spectroscopy and UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy to identify these drugs.

Raman and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of designer drugs known as �bath salts�

247th National Meeting (2014)

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