Determination of Synthetic Opioids Belonging to the Fentanyl Class in Silt Using Electron Ionization Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).

An extraction protocol from silt sediment of fentanyl and three analogs: acetylfentanyl, thiofentanyl and acetylthiofentanyl, spiked at two concentrations each and separately (at ~1 and ~10 µg/g), is described. In addition, the identity of the fentanyls preliminarily identified by electron ionization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (EI-GC-MS) analysis, can be corroborated by reacting each opioid in the silt’s extract with 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl chloride (Troc-Cl). Further, reaction between Troc-Cl and each opioid generates two unique products that can be used to retrospectively identify the original opioid therefore serving as a corroborating tool for known opioids as well as new, unknown fentanyl analogs.