Identification and quantification of amphetamine and analogues by capillary zone electrophoresis

A free zone capillary electrophoresis (CZE) system, with diode array detection, was used in the analysis of ephedrine and 9 amphetamines. The method was quantitative, offering better resolution than gas chromatography (GC), without the need for sample derivatisation. Under hydrodynamic injection, the concentrations of drug at which detection limits were reached lay between 13 and 68 micrograms/ml, with detection at 214 nm, these limits being of the same order of magnitude as those of GC. Analysis of casework samples by the two methods demonstrated the advantages of CZE with diode array detection over conventional GC for amphetamine identification and quantification.