CHARACTERIZATION OF ACETAMINOPHEN - MOLECULAR MICROANALYSIS WITH RAMAN MICROPROBE SPECTROSCOPY

The in situ spectroscopic identification of acetaminophen in a fatal o verdose case is described. Numerous techniques have been used to analy ze acetaminophen in biological fluids, however, the use of nondestruct ive spectroscopic techniques has not been documented. In this investig ation, the demonstration of the drug material was established by using the laser Raman microprobe technique, providing an accurate identific ation by virtue of the drug's molecular fingerprint characteristics. M aterial found on the deceased was collected and placed on metal (alumi num-coated) plated slides and excited with the 514.5 nm line of an arg on ion laser, which was focused to a 1 mu m spot size using a high-res olution optical microscope. Spectra of acetaminophen particles with an average size of 5 to 8 mu m were obtained. The Raman spectrum of this drug contains characteristic group frequencies assigned to the C=O at 1649 cm(-1), the N-H deformation mode at 1620 to 1612 cm(-1), the ben dstretch mode of the H-N-C=O at 1562 cm(-1), the C-H bending mode at 1 325 cm(-1), and the phenyl ring stretch at 799 cm(-1), respectively. T he results reported here demonstrate the capability of laser Raman mic roprobe as a useful adjunct tool for the identification of foreign mat erials in forensic pathology.