NCJ Number
162865
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 41 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1996) Pages: 148-151
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This paper describes a rapid and sensitive method for the analysis of amphetamine, methamphetamine, phentermine, and phenmetrazine in urine,
Abstract
The analysis method, using gas chromatography with nitrogen sensitive detection, also qualitatively determines ephedrine and norephedrine. The derivatization was carried out at room temperature with methyl chloroformate to form the corresponding carbamates. Because methyl chloroformate is relatively stable in the presence of water, the extraction and derivatization were combined in one step. A concentration step was not necessary to achieve sufficient sensitivity. The advantages of using methyl chloroformate as a derivatizing reagent, compared to the more common procedures using fluorinated anhydrides or silylating reagents, are that no heating is required and that the derivatization can take place under aqueous conditions during the extraction, thus no evaporation steps are necessary. The procedure is rapid and sensitive, with a high reproducibility. It is a good alternative when gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is not available or not required. Figures, tables, references