Other Chemistry Commons^™

Development Of A Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Method For The Detection Of Benzodiazepines In Urine, Erika L. Doctor

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benzodiazepines are among the most prescribed compounds for anti-anxiety and are present in many toxicological screens. These drugs are also prominent in the commission of drug facilitated sexual assaults due their effects on the central nervous system. Due to their potency, a low dose of these compounds is often administered to victims; therefore, the target detection limit for these compounds in biological samples is 10 ng/mL. Currently these compounds are predominantly analyzed using immunoassay techniques; however more specific screening methods are needed.

The goal of this dissertation was to develop a rapid, specific screening technique for benzodiazepines in urine samples …

Method Development For The Analysis Of Smokeless Powders And Organic Gunshot Residue By Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography With Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Jennifer L. Thomas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project was to develop a rapid separation and detection method for analyzing organic compounds in smokeless powders and then test its applicability on gunshot residue (GSR) samples. In this project, a total of 20 common smokeless powder additives and their decomposition products were separated by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). Some of the targeted compounds included diphenylamines, centralites, nitrotoluenes, nitroglycerin, and various phthalates. The compounds were ionized in the MS source using simultaneous positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI) with negative atmospheric pressure …