Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in forensic toxicology

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry has evolved from a topic of mainly research interest in to a routinely usable tool in various application fiel ds. With the advent of new ionization approaches, especially atmospheric pr essure, the technique has established itself firmly in many areas of resear ch. Although many applications prove that LC-MS is a valuable complementary analytical tool to GC-MS and has the potential to largely extend the appli cation field if mass spectrometry to hitherto "MS-phobic" molecules, we mus t recognize that the rise of LC-MS in forensic toxicology remains relativel y rare. This rarity is all the more surprising because forensic toxicologis ts find themselves often confronted with the daunting task of actually sear ching for evidence materials on a scientific basis without any indication o f the direction in which to search, Through the years, mass spectrometry, m ainly in the GC-MS form, has gained a leading role in the way such quandari es are tackled. The advent of robust, bioanalytically compatible combinatio ns of liquid chromatographic separation with mass spectrometric detection r eally opens new perspectives in terms of mass spectrometric identification of difficult molecules (e.g., polar metabolites) or biopolymers with toxico logical relevance, high throughput and versatility. Of course, analytical t oxicologists are generally mass spectrometry users rather than mass spectro metrists, and this difference certainly explains the slow start of LC-MS in this field. Nevertheless, some valuable applications have been published, and it scents that the introduction of the more universal atmospheric press ure ionization interfaces really has boosted interests. This review present s an overview of what has been realized in forensic toxicological LC-MS. Af ter a short introduction into LC-MS interfacing operational characteristics (or limitations), it cotters applications that range from illicit drugs to often abused prescription medicines and some natural poisons. As such, we hope it can act as an appetizer to those involved in forensic toxicology bu t still hesitating to invest in LC-MS. (C) 2000 John Wiley Br Sons, Inc., M ass Spec Rev 19: 165-214, 2000.