Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device
The smuggling of illicit drugs urges the development of new tools for rapid on-site identification in cargos. Current methods rely on presumptive color tests and portable spectroscopic techniques. However, these methods sometimes exhibit inaccurate results due to commonly used cutting agents, the co...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Chemosensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9040/10/3/108 |
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| author | Marc Parrilla Amorn Slosse Robin Van Echelpoel Noelia Felipe Montiel Amelia R. Langley Filip Van Durme Karolien De Wael |
| author_facet | Marc Parrilla Amorn Slosse Robin Van Echelpoel Noelia Felipe Montiel Amelia R. Langley Filip Van Durme Karolien De Wael |
| author_sort | Marc Parrilla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The smuggling of illicit drugs urges the development of new tools for rapid on-site identification in cargos. Current methods rely on presumptive color tests and portable spectroscopic techniques. However, these methods sometimes exhibit inaccurate results due to commonly used cutting agents, the colorful nature of the sample or because the drugs are smuggled in common goods. Interestingly, electrochemical sensors can deal with these specific problems. Herein, an electrochemical device is presented that uses affordable screen-printed electrodes for the electrochemical profiling of several illicit drugs by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The identification of the illicit compound is based on the oxidation potential of the analyte. Hence, a library of electrochemical profiles is built upon the analysis of illicit drugs and common cutting agents. This library allows the design of a tailor-made script that enables the identification of each drug through a user-friendly interface (laptop or mobile phone). Importantly, the electrochemical test is compared by analyzing 48 confiscated samples with other portable devices based on Raman and FTIR spectroscopy as well as a laboratory standard method (i.e., gas chromatography–mass spectrometry). Overall, the electrochemical results, obtained through the analysis of different samples from confiscated cargos at an end-user site, present a promising alternative to current methods, offering low-cost and rapid testing in the field. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:59:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-46003c6313a6492c9c30734da065e03e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9040 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:59:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Chemosensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-46003c6313a6492c9c30734da065e03e2023-11-24T00:45:58ZengMDPI AGChemosensors2227-90402022-03-0110310810.3390/chemosensors10030108Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical DeviceMarc Parrilla0Amorn Slosse1Robin Van Echelpoel2Noelia Felipe Montiel3Amelia R. Langley4Filip Van Durme5Karolien De Wael6A-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumDrugs and Toxicology Department, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC), Vilvoordsesteenweg 100, 1120 Brussels, BelgiumA-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumA-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumA-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumDrugs and Toxicology Department, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC), Vilvoordsesteenweg 100, 1120 Brussels, BelgiumA-Sense Lab, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumThe smuggling of illicit drugs urges the development of new tools for rapid on-site identification in cargos. Current methods rely on presumptive color tests and portable spectroscopic techniques. However, these methods sometimes exhibit inaccurate results due to commonly used cutting agents, the colorful nature of the sample or because the drugs are smuggled in common goods. Interestingly, electrochemical sensors can deal with these specific problems. Herein, an electrochemical device is presented that uses affordable screen-printed electrodes for the electrochemical profiling of several illicit drugs by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The identification of the illicit compound is based on the oxidation potential of the analyte. Hence, a library of electrochemical profiles is built upon the analysis of illicit drugs and common cutting agents. This library allows the design of a tailor-made script that enables the identification of each drug through a user-friendly interface (laptop or mobile phone). Importantly, the electrochemical test is compared by analyzing 48 confiscated samples with other portable devices based on Raman and FTIR spectroscopy as well as a laboratory standard method (i.e., gas chromatography–mass spectrometry). Overall, the electrochemical results, obtained through the analysis of different samples from confiscated cargos at an end-user site, present a promising alternative to current methods, offering low-cost and rapid testing in the field.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9040/10/3/108electrochemical sensorssquare-wave voltammetryscreen-printed electrodeselectrochemical profilingillicit drugsforensic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Marc Parrilla Amorn Slosse Robin Van Echelpoel Noelia Felipe Montiel Amelia R. Langley Filip Van Durme Karolien De Wael Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device Chemosensors electrochemical sensors square-wave voltammetry screen-printed electrodes electrochemical profiling illicit drugs forensic analysis |
| title | Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device |
| title_full | Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device |
| title_fullStr | Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device |
| title_short | Rapid On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs in Smuggled Samples with a Portable Electrochemical Device |
| title_sort | rapid on site detection of illicit drugs in smuggled samples with a portable electrochemical device |
| topic | electrochemical sensors square-wave voltammetry screen-printed electrodes electrochemical profiling illicit drugs forensic analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9040/10/3/108 |
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