High pressure liquid chromatography analysis of heroin

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of morphine in biological samples: an overview of separation methods and detection techniques

High-performance liquid chromatogrpahy with electrochemical detection at present suits most of the needs of toxicologists for the determination of morphine and some related compounds in biological samples, although fluorescence detection is still a useful alternative. Chemiluminescence detection may be promising, but needs further optimization of its coupling with HPLC to give the best performances. Morphine detection by absorbance spectrophotometry does not seem to allow the degree of sensitivity and selectivity from matrix interferences that is required in most instances. However, this approach is useful when morphine congeners undetectable by alternative means (i.e., heroin and morphine-3-glucuronide) are to be determined or when a general toxicological screening is required.

Capillary gas chromatographic analysis of illicit diamorphine preparations

An improved capillary gas chromatographic method for the analysis of illicit diamorphine preparation is reported. The method was able to resolve the impurities and more frequent adulterants and contaminants present in street heroin preparations with a diamorphine detection limit of 0.2 ng in split-less mode.