NMR spectroscopy is an underutilized tool for security, defence and forensics. Its portable nature, affordability, accessibility and ability for automation allows it to be useful to identify harmful and controlled substances, including designer drugs.
Why Benchtop NMR Spectrometers?
Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy can be useful in both identifying illicit drugs and/or determining their potency. There are some possible benefits over traditional HPLC or MS methods:
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Identification of designer drugs where small derivatization prevents it from being identified using known standards
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Unstable drugs that decompose when heated
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Drugs that are masked by matrix effects and sampling mediums by other methods
