Determination of cyanide, in urine and gastric content, by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry after direct flow injection of dicyanogold.

Kayoko Minakata, Hideki Nozawa, Kunio Gonmori, Masako Suzuki, Osamu Suzuki

Index: Anal. Chim. Acta 651(1) , 81-4, (2009)

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Abstract

A rapid and sensitive electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-MS-MS) procedure was developed for the determination of cyanide (CN(-)). CN(-) in biological fluids was reacted with NaAuCl(4) to produce dicyanogold, Au(CN)(2)(-), which was extracted with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). One microliter of the extract was injected directly into an ESI-MS-MS instrument. Quantification of CN(-) was performed by selected reaction monitoring of the product ion CN(-) at m/z 26 that derived from precursor ion Au(CN)(2)(-) at m/z 249. CN(-) could be measured in the quantification range of 10(-7) to 5x10(-5) M with the limit of detection at 4x10(-8) M using 10 microL of urine within 10 min. A victim's urine and gastric content were diluted with water to 4-fold and 500-fold and measured, respectively.