Comparison of the GC/MS ion trapping technique with GC-FTIR for the identification of stimulants in drug testing

The identification of banned stimulants in the urine of athletes is typically performed by gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometry (GC-EIMS). Derivatization is usually used to improve the chromatographic properties and to produce unique mass spectra for closely related compounds. Both gas chromatography with chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-CIMS) and gas chromatography with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (GC-FTIR) were compared for three test mixtures of stimulants. Both techniques were capable of supplying the necessary information for conclusive confirmation. However, the CI option on the ion trap mass detector (ITD) offers the most sensitive and fastest way for the confirmation of positive samples with detection limits of 1-10 ng. The GC-FTIR is from a chemometrics point of view more specific but needs 25-75 ng for a reliable spectrum.