HPLC Analysis of Spice Cannabinoids JWH-018, JWH-073 and Metabolites on Ascentis® Express C18
CONDITIONS
column
Ascentis Express C18, 10 cm x 3.0 mm I.D., 2.7 μm particles (53814-U)
mobile phase
[A] 0.1% formic acid in water; [B] 0.1% formic acid in water:acetonitrile (10:90)
gradient
20% B held for 3 min; 20 to 100% B in 0.1 min; 100% B held for 2 min
flow rate
0.5 mL/min
pressure
2150 psi (148 bar)
column temp.
35 °C
detector
UV, 315 nm
injection
2 μL
sample
17 μg/mL each in acetonitrile
Description
Analysis Note
Synthetic cannabinoids (e.g. "Spice") are a type of designer drug that provides a cannabis-type high. New synthetic cannabinoids are continually being introduced as suppliers tweak the molecular structures. The ability to rapidly and reliably identify the continually changing population of these compounds is a significant analytical challenge facing forensic chemists. A rapid separation of six of these compounds on an Ascentis Express C18 column is shown here. The highest grade LC-MS solvents were used to supply low background interference and low particulate contaminants for robust, trouble-free operation. Cerilliant CRMs provided reliable identification and quantification.
Legal Information
Ascentis is a registered trademark of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany