The determination of cocaine and related substances by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

A quantitative method for the determination of cocaine and related substances by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) is described. Quantitative results obtained for both monitor materials and a number of actual drug seizures by this new capillary electrophoretic method are comparable to a gas chromatography (GC) run in parallel, both in the values and coefficient of variation achieved. The advantages of this new method include minimal use of solvents, the ability to readily automate the procedure and the ability to quantitate illicit heroin seizures under the same conditions with the exception of detector wavelength alteration. The method has proved rugged and reliable for both heroin and cocaine in a number of inter‐laboratory proficiency studies.