Addressing the Oxygen in the Room: Exploring the Formation of Oxygenated Species for Nitazene Analogs Using DART-MS
(i.e., +16 Da) was observed. However, certain compounds, such as tetracaine, contained a +16 Da ion with helium as the source gas, indicating that both the source gas and chemical properties of the analyte impact oxygenated species formation. Further tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) studies were conducted to identify where the oxygen adduct was formed. The presence of a tertiary amine appears to play a role in oxygenation, as oxygenated iminium ions were frequently observed. Overall, oxygenated species were observed at higher abundances for the nitazene analogs than other controlled substances, providing an additional piece of support for a nitazene analog identification using DART-MS.
Authors
- Alleigh N. Couch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4528-3561)
- J. Tyler Davidson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9932-8273)
- Emma K. Hardwick
Institutions
- Sam Houston State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
- Published
- 2026-04-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/jasms.6c00059
- Primary Topic
- Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Institute of Standards and Technology