DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v28i2.180

Keywords: Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), nicotine quantification, smoking, forensic chemistry, electronic cigarettes (vape)

Abstract

The increasing use of electronic cigarettes has intensified the need for reliable quantification of nicotine in e-liquids, particularly due to concerns regarding product mislabelling and the associated health risks. This study compares three nicotine extraction techniques, namely salting out, acid protonation and basic digestion, prior to quantitative analysis using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). A calibration curve constructed from serially diluted nicotine standards in the range of 0.5 to 36 mg/mL produced a strong linear correlation with an R² value of 0.985, confirming its suitability for quantification. A commercial e-liquid was subjected to each extraction method and subsequently analysed using ATR-FTIR. Only the acid protonation method enabled successful quantification, yielding a nicotine concentration of 15.953 mg/mL with a recovery of 88.63 %, while the salting out and basic digestion methods produced no measurable amounts. These findings demonstrate that ATR-FTIR, when combined with an appropriate extraction strategy, provides a rapid and practical approach for the quantification of nicotine in e-liquids, with potential applications in regulatory monitoring and forensic assessment.