ANALYSIS OF STREEEET ECSTASY TABLETS BY THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY COUPLED TO EASY AMBIENT SONIC-SPRAY IONIZATION MASS SPEPECTROMETRY

Ecstasy is a famous illicit drug with varying drug composition, but it usually contains 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as the main active ingredient. The common procedure to identify ecstasy tablets uses testing kits, but its low specificity may lead to false positives. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is used worldwide in forensic investigations due to its simplicity, low-cost and versatility but may also lead to false positives. In this study, TLC separation of seven common ecstasy drugs: MDMA, metamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA), 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), amphetamine, caffeine and lidocaine was attained, and twenty five apprehended street ecstasy tablets analyzed by TLC. Easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS) was then performed directly on the surface of each TLC spot for MS characterization. The combination of TLC with EASI-MS is shown to provide a relatively simple and powerful screening tool for forensic analysis of street drugs with fast and indisputable results.