Differentiation and Identification of Fentanyl Analogues Using Portable Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

The continually evolving and complex drug landscape presents a formidable challenge for first responders who need reliable tools for their detection and identification. Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid analgesic used to manage pain which recently became a significant public health threat due to the illicit drug market. In 2023, overdose deaths exceeded 100,000 in the United States, with over 70% of those involving a synthetic opioid such as fentanyl or tramadol. These drugs are being transported to the United States across borders, and thus it has become a national priority to develop tools to help stop their proliferation. Portable technologies provide the best potential for addressing this problem, with a specific emphasis on identification of fentanyl and its analogs in the field. This research involves analyzing 250 synthetic opioids, including 210 fentanyl analogs, to build a comprehensive fentanyl detection library for a portable ion trap mass spectrometer (1st Detect Tracer 1000) designed for rapid identification of drugs and explosives. Ion trap mass spectrometers operate by using electrostatic and radio frequency fields to confine ions. This offers high sensitivity, resolution, and the ability to study ion-molecule reactions. It was hypothesized that expanding the instrument’s library with a wide range of fentanyl analogs would improve classification and detection performance in real-world scenarios. Results support this hypothesis, showing improved detection and accuracy with the updated spectral library. To further validate the enhanced library, its detection and identification accuracy were evaluated using mixed samples and adjudicated case samples. This project aims to evaluate and ultimately improve the detection and identification capabilities of portable ion trap mass spectrometry for fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and other synthetic opioids, thus supporting its use in high-security environments like airports and other border crossings.