The Analytical Science Research Group (ASRG) has been commissioned by the Home Office to evaluate an emerging threat to the UK: ultra potent synthetic opioids.
The research has delivered a comprehensive chemical assessment of these dangerous drug compounds, evaluating differences between illicit drugs seized at borders versus inland, purity assessment, composition and variability, and headspace profiling to provide intelligence towards better detection of these drugs at borders.
The illicit drug market has been dominated by the rise of fentanyl in North America in recent years, with a surge in drug-related fatalities. The situation has now evolved with the emergence of non-fentanyl derived synthetic opioids, such as nitazenes, which are several times more potent than fentanyl, and can be as much as 500 times stronger than heroin.
Urgent research is required to understand the nature of these drugs, and to provide intelligence to help detect these drugs when smuggled across borders.
The analysis has shown that the purity of some of the nitazene compounds seized at borders is extremely high, with metonitazene and protonitazene at >98% pure. The group has also developed a headspace analysis technique which examines the volatile molecules which comprise the odour profile of these drugs. This information is used to provide intelligence to the Home Office on which to base drug detection policy aimed at stopping the influx of these drugs into the U.K.
The headspace technique revealed a complex array of aromatic organic compounds in the headspace above illicit nitazenes, and there is evidence that these compounds are used as precursors during illicit synthesis routes for these drugs.
The chemical profiling work undertaken for this commission includes: optical and scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, fluorescence spectroscopy, HPLC, GCMS, and HS-SPME / GCMS analysis across a wide range of synthetic opioids including bulk powders, prepared powders and pills from U.K seizures.
