ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to develop a chiral gas chromatographic method for the separation of compounds likely to be found in the EMDE synthesis of methylamphetamine, a heavily abused stimulant drug. Here we describe the separation of the enantiomers of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, chlorinated intermediates and methylamphetamine using fluorinated acid anhydrides as chemical derivatization reagents prior to gas chromatographic analysis on a 2,3-di-O-methyl-6-t-butyl silyl-ß-cyclodextrin stationary phase (CHIRALDEX™ B-DM). Separation of the enantiomers of pseudoephedrine, methylamphetamine and chloro-intermediates was achieved using PFPA derivatization, and enantiomers of ephedrine using TFAA derivatization, in run times of less than 40 minutes. The use of HFBA as a derivatization reagent for this set of analytes is also discussed.
