Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Fentanyl Analog Screening using LC-TIMS-TOF MS/MS
Published on: November 8, 2024
A rapid simple approach to screening pharmaceutical products using ultra-performance LC coupled to time-of-flight
Robert S Plumb1, Michael D Jones, Paul D Rainville
1Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, South Kensington, London, UK, SW7. R.Plumb@ic.ac.uk
Abstract:
The comparison of batches of pharmaceutical product or raw active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for product release can be time consuming and tedious process. It often requires long analysis times and potentially several liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) analytical runs to determine the identity of the impurities and their relationship to the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The combination of a high resolution (sub 2 microm porous particle) LC coupled to exact mass MS, principal components analysis (PCA) allowed for the rapid classification of batches of Simvastatin tablets according to their impurity profile. Evaluating the ultra-performance LC-MS exact mass data with PCA allowed for the impurities of Simvastatin to be easily detected and identified. This approach to impurity batch analysis should be applicable to many other forms of batch analysis, fermentation broths, food production, and API manufacturing.
Related Concept Videos
Rapid Identification of Pathogens
Peptide Identification Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry
This technique helps gather information regarding the protein from which the peptide was obtained and to study the peptides’ amino acid sequence. Identifying peptides from a complex mixture is an important component of the growing field of...
Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Types of Detectors
MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Introduction
In HPLC, two phases play a critical role in the separation process:
