微型离子阱质谱快速检测电子烟油中合成大麻素

Rapid Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoids in E-Cigarette Liquids Based on Miniature Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

  • 摘要: 借助电子烟油进行合成大麻素相关毒品犯罪已成为一种新型犯罪形式。为了逃避监管,犯罪分子将合成大麻素添加到电子烟油中,制成所谓的“上头电子烟”。因此,迫切需要发展适用于电子烟油中合成大麻素的现场快速检测方法。本研究建立了一种基于丙酮辅助光电离微型离子阱质谱的电子烟油中非法添加合成大麻素的快速检测方法。电子烟油中的复杂基质会显著降低合成大麻素的检测灵敏度,并且基质残留会严重污染质谱仪器,仪器恢复需要的时间长达360 min。为此,本研究提出了利用合成大麻素与电子烟油中组分的沸点差异进行加热处理,以实现合成大麻素目标检测物与电子烟油基质成分预分离的解决方案。以5F-EMB-PICA为研究对象,考察了预加热分离的温度和时间参数对其信号强度的影响。在最佳温度150 ℃,最优加热时间5 min条件下,可获得最佳灵敏度,且仪器恢复时间仅需1 min。为验证该方法的普适性,分别考察了不同风味电子烟油中5F-EMB-PICA、4F-ABUTINACA和4F-MMB-BUTINACA等3种典型合成大麻素的检测结果。结果表明,该方法可检出浓度为5 mg/L的3种合成大麻素,灵敏度较高,且检出浓度远低于“上头电子烟”中合成大麻素的浓度范围(0.58%~2.71%)。本方法有望为电子烟油中合成大麻素的现场检测提供重要支撑。

     

    Abstract: In recent years, the misuse of synthetic cannabinoids has garnered significant societal attention. To evade regulation, synthetic cannabinoids are often illicitly mixed into e-cigarette liquids to create "heady e-cigarettes". The complex matrix of e-cigarette liquids poses a substantial challenge to the detection and regulation of synthetic cannabinoids, necessitating the development of methods suitable for rapid on-site detection of these substances in such products. A miniature ion trap mass spectrometer, with its high sensitivity, fast detection, and portability, is an ideal tool for detecting synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarette liquids. In this study, a rapid detection method for synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarette liquids was established based on acetone-assisted photoionization miniature ion trap mass spectrometry. The study revealed that the complex matrix present in e-cigarette liquids can mask the detection signals of synthetic cannabinoids, thereby significantly reducing detection sensitivity. Furthermore, matrix residues were found to cause severe contamination of the mass spectrometry instrument, resulting in an extended instrument recovery time of up to 360 min following contamination. To address this issue, a micro-heating desorption pre-separation module was proposed to achieve pre-separation of synthetic cannabinoids and e-cigarette liquid matrix components by exploiting the boiling point difference between them. Using 5F-EMB-PICA as a representative compound, the effects of temperature and heating time of the micro-heating desorption on the detection signal intensity were investigated. The optimal temperature was found to be 150 ℃, and the optimal heating time was 5 min. Under these conditions, the heating pre-separation strategy successfully minimized the interference from e-cigarette matrix components, achieving optimal detection sensitivity while reducing instrument contamination. The instrument recovery time was reduced to only 1 min. To demonstrate the universality of the method, three typical synthetic cannabinoids (e.g., 5F-EMB-PICA, 4F-ABUTINACA, and 4F-MMB-BUTINACA) in different flavors of e-cigarette liquids were investigated, all of which were accurately and rapidly detected. In addition, the method exhibits high sensitivity for detecting all three synthetic cannabinoids at concentrations as low as 5 mg/L. This detection limit is significantly lower than the typical synthetic cannabinoid concentration range (0.58%-2.71%) found in "heady e-cigarettes", thereby fully covering the potential content of illicit additives in e-cigarette products. This method not only offers excellent detection performance, but also features fast response, low cost and short instrument recovery time, making it suitable for on-site identification of illicitly added synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarette liquids. With the continuous expansion of the e-cigarette market and the growing severity of related drug crimes, this method is expected to provide important support for the on-site detection of synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarette liquids.

     

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