Effect of liner properties on the analysis of lysergic acid diethylamide ( LSD ) analogs
Journal of Forensic Sciences – September 21, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Liners with packing materials significantly enhance the detection of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and its analogs in forensic chemistry, achieving higher peak areas compared to non-packed options. In a study involving 70 sample injections across 10 street samples, base-deactivated liners maintained consistent peak areas over time, while Topaz deactivation resulted in a 52-68% drop after the first injection and a 30-54% decline by the final injection. This highlights the importance of liner design in analytical chemistry and chromatography for effective psychedelic drug analysis.
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and analogs are psychedelic drugs commonly submitted to forensic chemistry laboratories. These drugs are often present on items of evidence at low concentrations, requiring sensitive analyses to positively identify their presence. The injection port of a gas chromatograph (GC) plays an important role in vaporizing and transferring substances to the column for separation and subsequent detection. The consumables in the inlet, specifically the liner, can influence the abundance and chromatography of compounds being analyzed. Twelve liners with varying geometries, packing materials, and deactivation chemistries were assessed by analyzing a mixture of eight LSD-related compounds and comparing the average peak areas. Liners containing packing materials yielded significantly higher peak areas as compared to those without. The geometry of the liner played a smaller role and affected results only with one deactivation when glass wool was not present. Base deactivation improved peak area when compared to standard and Topaz deactivation in straight liners with packing. Authentic samples were analyzed on liners with varying deactivation chemistries to determine the effect over a run of seven replicates of 10 street samples (70 sample injections). Peak area with base-deactivated liners and liners with standard deactivation remained consistent over time, whereas the liner with Topaz deactivation decreased in peak area 52-68% after the initial injection and demonstrated a decrease in peak area of 30-54% from the first injection to the final injection.