Detection of adulteration in acetonitrile

To address the increasing concern that acetonitrile may be intentionally adulterated to meet the shortfall in global supplies resulting from a downturn in its manufacturing, three analytical techniques were examined in this study. Gas Chromatography with Thermal Conductivity Detection (GC-TCD), Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were assessed for their ability to detect and quantify potential adulterants including water, alternative organic solvents, and by-products associated with the production of acetonitrile. The results of the assessment of the three techniques for acetonitrile adulteration testing are discussed.