Author:

Keywords:

LC-MS/MS, forensic

Abstract:

Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is more and more used in forensic toxicology. This is a highly selective and sensitive technique, but can be negatively affected by matrix effects i.e. the influence of co-eluting compounds on the analyte of interest. The complex composition of forensic samples forces the researcher who is using LC-MS/MS to be aware of matrix effects, evaluate these and, if possible, eliminate these. Therefore, this review discusses the nature of forensic samples and how matrix effects can be evaluated and avoided when analyzing such samples with LC-MS/MS. Moreover, a brief overview of sample preparation and the working mechanisms of LC-MS/MS and matrix effects is given.