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Using Laboratory Chemicals To Imitate Illicit Drugs in a Forensic Chemistry Activity
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Abstract
This forensic chemistry activity utilizes presumptive forensic testing procedures and laboratory chemicals that produce screening results similar to controlled substances. For obvious reasons, obtaining heavily regulated controlled substances to create an undergraduate student activity is not practical for most educational institutions. We were able to identify over-the-counter and laboratory chemicals that mimic actual street drugs in terms of physical properties and color response. Using these selected chemicals, the screening aspect of drug testing provides students with the opportunity to understand what obstacles a forensic chemist faces when analyzing a sample of unknown identity. Chemical spot tests (CSTs) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were chosen owing to their simplicity, versatility, common use by forensic chemists, availability, and cost of the reagents and equipment needed. Students are expected to explain how simple color reactions can screen for illicit drugs, to describe how TLC can be used to separate and tentatively identify drugs, to predict how polarity changes affect TLC results, and to explain why CSTs and TLC serve for screening purposes only.
Keywords (Audience):
First-Year Undergraduate / GeneralKeywords (Domain):
Analytical ChemistryKeywords (Pedagogy):
Hands-On Learning / ManipulativesKeywords (Subject):
Applications of ChemistryCiting Articles
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This article has been cited by 4 ACS Journal articles (4 most recent appear below).
Analysis of a Suspected Drug Sample
Eric J. Schurter, Lois Anne Zook-Gerdau, and Paul SzalayJournal of Chemical Education2011 Article ASAPAnalysis of a Suspected Drug Sample
Eric J. Schurter, Lois Anne Zook-Gerdau, and Paul SzalayJournal of Chemical Education2011 Article ASAPThis general chemistry laboratory uses differences in solubility to separate a mixture of caffeine and aspirin while introducing the instrumental analysis methods of GCMS and FTIR. The drug mixture is separated by partitioning aspirin and caffeine between ...
A Multi-Technique Forensic Experiment for a Nonscience-Major Chemistry Course
Paul S. Szalay, Lois Anne Zook-Gerdau, and Eric J. SchurterJournal of Chemical Education2011 Article ASAPA Multi-Technique Forensic Experiment for a Nonscience-Major Chemistry Course
Paul S. Szalay, Lois Anne Zook-Gerdau, and Eric J. SchurterJournal of Chemical Education2011 Article ASAPThis multi-technique experiment with a forensic theme was developed for a nonscience-major chemistry course. The students are provided with solid samples and informed that the samples are either cocaine or a combination of drugs designed to mimic the ...
Planar Chromatography
Joseph ShermaAnalytical Chemistry2010 82 (12), 4895-4910Planar Chromatography
Joseph ShermaAnalytical Chemistry2010 82 (12), 4895-4910
Molecular Models of Real and Mock Illicit Drugs from a Forensic Chemistry Activity
William F. ColemanJournal of Chemical Education2008 85 (6), 880Molecular Models of Real and Mock Illicit Drugs from a Forensic Chemistry Activity
William F. ColemanJournal of Chemical Education2008 85 (6), 880The Featured Molecules for this month have been drawn from a forensic chemistry exercise in which model compounds are used to simulate the behavior of various drugs in a series of chemical tests. The compounds considered include chlorpromazine (Thorazine) ...
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History
- Received: August 03, 2009
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