Detection of the Spermicide Nonoxynol-9 Via GC-MS

作者：Musah Rabi A; Vuong Angela L; Henck Colin; Shepard Jason R E^*

来源：Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 2012, 23(5): 996-999.

DOI：10.1007/s13361-012-0353-7

• GC-MS
• Forensic
• Nonoxynol-9

The spermicide nonoxynol-9 is actually a complex mixture of dozens of closely related amphiphilic compounds, and the chemical properties of this assortment significantly hamper its characterization by GC-MS. The inability to perform routine GC-MS testing on nonoxynol-9 has limited its evidentiary value in forensic casework, which relies heavily on this technique for analysis. A disturbing trend in sexual assault is the use of condoms by assailants, to avoid leaving behind DNA evidence that can connect a perpetrator to a victim. This observation necessitates the development of alternative methods for the analysis of trace evidence that can show causal links between a victim and a suspect. Detection of lubricants associated with sexual assault is one such way to establish this connection. The development of GC-MS methods that permit facile detection of both nonoxynol-9 alone and nonoxynol-9 extracted from other complex matrices that have potential as trace evidence in sexual assault is reported. A detection limit of 2.14 mu g of nonoxynol-9 is demonstrated, and a detailed mass spectral profile that elaborates on what is known of its structure is provided.

• 出版日期2012-5