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SM Journal of Forensic Research and Criminology

Chemically Modified Piezoelectric Devices to Detect Seized Marijuana and Cocaine Samples: A New Tool for Forensic Chemistry

[ ISSN : 2574-2426 ]

Abstract
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Received: 28-Feb-2017

Accepted: 28-Apr-2017

Published: 04-Feb-2017

Research Article | Volume 1 - Issue 1 | Article DOI :

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Matheus MMT de Menezes¹˒², Marco A Balbino¹, Alex S Castro¹, Izabel C Eleotério¹, Grégoire Jean-François Demets¹, Osmair V de Oliveira², Antonio J Ipólito³, Bruce R McCord⁴, and Marcelo F de Oliveira¹*

¹Departamento de Química, Grupo de Estudos em Eletroquímica e Química Forense, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
²Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo, Brazil
³Núcleo de Perícias Criminalísticas de Ribeirão Preto, Superintendência de Polícia Técnico-Científica do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil
?Department of Chemistry, Florida International University, United States

Corresponding Author:

Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira, Departamento de Química, Grupo de Estudos em Eletroquímica e Química Forense, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, USP, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Tel: 55-16-3315-9150; Fax: 55-16-3315-9101; Email: marcelex@usp.br

Keywords

Forensic chemistry; Cannabinoids; cocaine; quartz crystal microbalance; chemical modifiers

Abstract

Cannabinoid gas-phase detectors were assembled modifying piezoelectric quartz crystals with Fast Blue B salt, Triton X-100, and Nafion-coated Fast Blue B salt. A similar sensor was assembled using cucurbit (6) nuril for modifier to detect cocaine in the gas-phase. Several analyses were carried out with seized drug samples, and the amount of cannabinoids or cocaine adsorbed on the sensors was calculated using Sauerbrey equation. Moreover, PM7 semi empirical calculations were used to understand the adsorption processes in these systems. Fast Blue B salt coated with a thin Nafion layer for cannabinoids and cucurbit (6) uril for cocaine provided stable and reversible responses during the analyses of several seized samples. Theoretical calculations support their affinity towards the analytes, and our results show that it is possible to assemble reliable piezoelectric sensors for cannabinoids and cocaine.

Citation

de Menezes MMT, Balbino MA, Castro AS, Eleotério IC, Demets GJF, de Oliveira OV, et al. Chemically Modified Piezoelectric Devices to Detect Seized Marijuana and Cocaine Samples: A New Tool for Forensic Chemistry. SM J Forensic Res Criminol. 2017; 1(1): 1003.