COMBINED DUAL-SYSTEM R-F AND UV LIBRARY SEARCH SOFTWARE - APPLICATIONTO FORENSIC DRUG ANALYSIS BY TLC AND RPTLC

Novel software is introduced for processing qualitative analytical dat a from hco parallel thin-layer chromatographic analyses, the identific ation being based on comparison with libraries of corrected R-F values (hR(F)(c)) and in situ UV spectra. The essential part of the program is the combination report which lists those substances that are found using both systems: after limiting the number of candidates by means o f an hR(F)(c) presearch, a hit list is created according to spectral c orrelations with the library spectra, and the ranking order is based o n the correlation sum value from the two systems. The feasibility of t he method, using a normal-phase and a reversed-phase C-18 combination, is demonstrated in a blind study involving seized materials (street d rugs) previously analyzed by reference methods.