A green methodology for the determination of cocaine in camouflaged samples

Anal Methods. 2023 Apr 27;15(16):1969-1978. doi: 10.1039/d3ay00113j.

Abstract

A methodology based on the ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethanol and the dry film attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DF-ATR-FTIR) measurement of extracts has been developed for a fast evaluation of non-conventional ("exotic") solid-sized cocaine samples. The method provides quantitative results in less than three minutes with a limit of detection in the solid sample of 1.6 μg g-1 of cocaine with a variation coefficient lower than 7%. Results found for seized samples of different natures were compared with those obtained by a reference gas chromatography method and the greenness of the whole proposed procedure was evaluated and compared using the analytical eco-scale, green analytical procedure index (GAPI), and analytical greenness metric (AGREE). The green evaluation of the proposed methodology provided green scores by considering different evaluation criteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, Gas
  • Cocaine* / analysis
  • Cocaine* / chemistry
  • Spectrophotometry, Infrared

Substances

  • Cocaine