Abstract: A rapid method for screening drug seizure samples for 3,6-diacetylmorphine (heroin), which consists of a simple hydrolysis procedure and flow-injection analysis with two chemiluminescence reagents, is described. Before hydrolysis, 3,6-diacetylmorphine evokes an intense response with a tris(2,2?- bipyridyl)ruthenium(III) reagent (prepared by dissolving the perchlorate salt in acetonitrile), and a relatively weak chemiluminescence response with a second reagent: potassium permanganate in an aqueous acidic polyphosphate solution. However, the permanganate reagent is extremely sensitive toward the hydrolysis products of 3,6-diacetylmorphine (i.e., 6-monoacetylmorphine and morphine). Some compounds commonly found in drug laboratories may cause false positives with tris(2,2?-bipyridyl)ruthenium(III), but do not produce the markedly increased response with the permanganate reagent after the hydrolysis procedure. The combination of these two tests therefore provides an effective presumptive test for the presence of 3,6-diacetylmorphine, which we have verified with 14 samples obtained from a forensic science laboratory. Copyright © 2006 by American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Abstract: The cited methods (apparatus illustrated) have been applied in the analysis of standard explosives (e.g., 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, dinitrotoluene and N-methyl-2,4,6,N-tetranitroaniline and other organic nitro-compounds) by using single- or dual-electrode detection. The responses of the dual-electrode detector were found to be a function of applied working potentials. The dual-electrode technique, which showed greater sensitivity than the single-electrode method, was applicable in the analysis of explosives, drugs, nitrate ester compounds, nitro-aromatics, nitro-PAH and similar such derivatives. Calibration graphs and rectilinearities of detector response for various nitro-compounds are given. Flow injection analysis - photolysis - electrochemical detection and HPLC - photolysis - electrochemical detection may be of value in organic or inorganic trace analysis.