| Drug enforcement agencies are often called upon to investigate clandestine synthesis labs, like the so called “methlabs,” where there is a high potential for illegal substances to be present. Usually, there is plenty of sample, although in some cases only traces are present, but almost universally the materials are impure (QC is not a major concern in these labs). Thus, enforcement requires separation and identification of the components of a messy mixture. The court case stemming from the investigation will hinge upon both the identity and quantity of illegal material present, so this is an extremely important consideration.
Clandestine labs have become increasingly sophisticated, being able to synthesize many prescription drugs (like hydrocodone, a key ingredient in Vicodin™) or designer drugs, which typically involve slight chemical modifications of known materials. The class of drugs similar to ephedrine, for instance, includes methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine, one a controlled drug, the other an over-the-counter decongestant. The subtle differences make the need for a rapid, structurally sensitive method of analysis an imperative for effective drug law enforcement.
The GC-FTIR solution from Thermo provides not only excellent GC data (chromatograms, in the form of the GSR), but can serve as a stand-alone IR bench. This provides all of the advantages and capabilities of the Nicolet x700 FT-IR spectrometers, Smart Accessories (ATR, DRIFTS, etc.), IR microscopy, and Raman to quickly identify: gun powder residuals; single crystals, fibers; hit-and-run paint residuals; inks from stylograph pens or stamps; and more Forensics solutions.
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