Voltammetry as a rapid screening method for NPS identification

• Main Authors: Ameen, A, Russell, H, Dennany, L
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: SPIE 20.09.2020
• ISBN: 9781510638938; 1510638938
• ISSN: 0277-786X
• DOI: 10.1117/12.2573507

Designer drugs, also commonly known as new psychoactive substances (NPS), are increasingly in their prevalence and a challenge to toxicologists and forensic chemists. Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are among the largest group of NPS that have emerged in the illicit drug market all over the world. SCs may consist of different chemicals prepared in laboratories and herbal mixtures that said to be incense and not-for-human-consumption. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the use of electrochemical based methods for screening some of the emerging types of SC. More specifically, the paper takes electrochemistry approach called voltammetry to perform the detection and analysis of SCs whereby the main subjects for screening include STS-135 and 5F-ADB-PINACA. The expected result is that those compounds that belong to the same class should indicate almost similar behaviour to help achieve its objective, the paper reviews a number of recent publications relating to forensic drug analysis and much attention to electrochemical sensor methods.