Electrochemical and Spectroscopic Sensors for Drugs Targeting the µ-Opioid Receptor and Common Adulterants

Sara L. Kuberski*, Colby E. Ott, and Luis E. Arroyo

Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26505

Presentation Category: Oral-Science & Technology (Oral Presentation #18)

Student’s Major: Forensic and Investigative Science; Chemistry

Drugs of abuse are a significant problem in the US that will be addressed from various angles. First, patients impacted by drug addiction need medical care. A currently utilized procedure is through medication assisted treatment (MAT), where drugs such as buprenorphine and naltrexone must be monitored to ensure patient compliance. Second, the prevalence of cases leads to a large amount of evidence being submitted to laboratories for analysis. These seized drugs often include adulterants, such as acetaminophen, which is also present in pharmaceutical products and can reach wastewater plants as a contaminant. Screening tests are useful to process samples quickly and reduce costs and backlog. Therefore, the goal of this work is to develop electrochemical and spectrochemical methods for buprenorphine, naltrexone, and acetaminophen as a valuable approach to tackle existing needs. Electrochemical methods are ideal for screening because they are fast and inexpensive yet are still sensitive and selective. Spectrochemical methods take this to the next level by simultaneously adding orthogonal information about how the compound responds to light. Electrochemical detection of buprenorphine and naltrexone yielded oxidation peaks with acceptable separation (+0.29 V; +0.45 V and +0.86 V, respectively). Acetaminophen demonstrated both oxidation (+0.289 V) and reduction (+0.0265 V) with a reversible process. Calibration curves were constructed for buprenorphine, naltrexone, and acetaminophen in triplicate with linear ranges of 1.9-14 ppm, 0.5-10 ppm, and 1.0-10 ppm, respectively. Spectroelectrochemical methods employing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with different supporting electrolytes and surfaces as well as the measurement of various simulated samples were investigated.

Funding: Federal: National Institute of Justice Institutional: Honor EXCEL program, University Merit Scholarship

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: a WVU 497-level course