Drug detection and analysis

Nature of science:

Advances in instrumentation—advances in technology (IR, MS and NMR) have assisted in drug detection, isolation and purification. (3.7)

• Organic structures can be analysed and identified through the use of infrared spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and proton NMR.
• The presence of alcohol in a sample of breath can be detected through the use of either a redox reaction or a fuel cell type of breathalyser.

Applications and skills:

• Interpretation of a variety of analytical spectra to determine an organic structure including infrared spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and proton NMR.
• Description of the process of extraction and purification of an organic product. Consider the use of fractional distillation, Raoult’s law, the properties on which extractions are based and explaining the relationship between organic structure and solubility.
• Description of the process of steroid detection in sport utilizing chromatography and mass spectroscopy.
• Explanation of how alcohol can be detected with the use of a breathalyser.

Guidance:

• Students should be able to identify common organic functional groups in a given compound by recognition of common drug structures and from IR (section 26 of the data booklet), 1H NMR (section 27 of the data booklet) and mass spectral fragment (section 28 of the data booklet) data.
• A common steroid structure is provided in section 34 in the data booklet.

• The misuse of drugs in sport is an international problem.

Theory of knowledge:

• Developments in technology have increased the chances of people being caught using illegal substances. How do changes in technology influence our ethical choices?

Utilization:

• Syllabus and cross-curricular links:
• Topic 10.2—functional groups

Aims:

• Aim 4: A variety of spectroscopy techniques can be used to identify newly developed molecules.
• Aim 7: Computer databases with spectroscopy data could be used to confirm the identity of newly synthesized molecules.
• Aim 8: Developments in technology have increased the chances of people being caught using illegal substances. How do changes in technology influence our ethical choices?