Cocaine and benzoylecgonine determination using HPLC and SWV methods

The use of illegal substances which create addiction represents an actual problem in every country. In the struggle against the organized narcocriminal it is very important quick and precise analysis of the sample. High-performance liquid chromatographic method was optimized for determination of cocaine (COC) and its metabolite benzoylecgonine (BZE) in human urine. In order to eliminate matrix interferences and concentrate the analytes, a sample preparation method using solid-phase extraction was developed. Electrochemical properties of COC and BZE by means of square-wave voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) were studied. The main difference between two analytes is manifested in their tendency for adsorption on the mercury electrode surface. Benzoylecgonine is adsorbed stronger than cocaine, and hence an adsorptive stripping voltammetric method for determination of cocaine was developed based on benzoylecgonine reduction. This book, therefore, provides new modern analytical methods for qualitative and quantitative analysis of cocaine, benzoylecgonine directly applicable in both the police and the judicial medicine for carrying out appropriate tests.