New application for the quantitation of cocaine base by gas chromatography

The analysis of cocaine base is a major part of the forensic drug chemist's workload. Simplifying quantitative methodology can assist the drug chemist. Methods currently employed for quantitation of cocaine base utilize either an internal standard or a direct comparison. This gas chromatographic method for the quantitation of cocaine base employs a non-controlled reference standard and linear transformations. As a result, cocaine base can be quantitated by a single injection of a solution containing the analyte and a non-controlled reference standard of known concentration. Use of this methodology would minimize time expenditures, lower exposure to hazardous solvents and reduce expense of procuring difficult-to-obtain controlled reference standards while limiting detector response variations that can occur with multiple injections.