[Case Study] Direct Introduction Probe - Rapid Identification and Confirmation of Unknown Substances

Identification of unknown substances using the Exactive GC Orbitrap mass spectrometer.

The detection and identification of illegal substances or suspicious materials of unknown origin is difficult, often involving complex analytical processes, which can take time to yield final results. Furthermore, high reliability, confirmed by many points, is essential for final identification. Generally, all suspicious substances seized by law enforcement agencies must be sent to scientific investigation agencies for testing. Drug testing kits can be used for the identification of certain classes of drugs, but identifying the exact active substances in unknown powders or liquids, especially new substances in drugs like "legal highs," is often challenging. When using mass spectrometry, high mass accuracy data is essential to gain the necessary selectivity in complex matrices and enhance the reliability of compound identification. By measuring the molecular weight of chemical substances with sufficient accuracy, analysts can determine the elemental composition and identify the chemical structure of substances using isotope ratios and fragmentation patterns. This application note describes a method for reliably identifying unknown substances almost instantaneously. This method connects a direct insertion probe (DIP) to the mass spectrometer and rapidly identifies compounds using both electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization (CI).

Analytical Equipment and Devices