Aviv Amirav, Professor of Chemistry at Tel Aviv University and Director - Aviv Analytical
Introduction
Nononoxynol-9, (C33H60O10, chemical structure at right) is used in a mixture with other Nonoxynol-n (Nonylphenol polyethoxilates oligomer) as a common spermicide component of condom lubricants.
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| Nonoxynol-9 |
Condom use has been documented in sexual assault as a means by which criminals can avoid leaving behind incriminating DNA evidence. However, in the absence of DNA evidence, detection of the various components of condom lubricants can serve as a causal link between a victim and suspect. In this context, the detection of specific lubricant components such as the spermicide Nonoxynol-9 can serve as a probative link that provides an avenue to corroborate other evidence or information related to the crime. However, the detection of Nonoxynol-9 for evidentiary purposes has not been fully exploited because its physical characteristics are generally incompatible with standard GC-MS instrumentation. Recently, Shepard and co-workers (R. A. Musah, A. L. Vuong, C. Henck and J. R. E. Shepard, J. Am. Soc. Mass. Spectrom. 23, 996-999 (2012), and Pittcon 2012 poster abstract) evaluated the use of standard GC-MS for Nonoxynol-9 analysis and Prof. Shepard from the university of Albany (NY USA) kindly provided us with information on the challenge of Nonoxynol-9 analysis, and with a preprint of his paper which serves for comparison with our results. Another reference for standard GC-MS analysis of Nonoxynols (Nonylphenol polyethoxilates) is Z. Y. Wu, C. P. G. Ruhle and P. J. Marriott, J. Chromatogr. A. 1218, 4002-4008 (2011).
Keep reading for the "small miracle" that Cold EI brings into the analysis of Nonoxynol-9.
