Date rape drug GHB detected by fluorescent sensor

The world’s first fluorescent sensor to detected the date rape drug Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) has been developed by scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

When the liquid is mixed into a drink to test whether it has been “spiked” by GHB, the liquid turns a fluorescent orange within 30 seconds if the drug is detected, warning the drinker not to take another sip.

GHB, is a central nervous system depressant that is used as an anaesthetic in some medical situations. However, the odourless and nearly tasteless liquid became prevalent as a date rape drug in the 1990s, as it causes a victim to become incapacitated and vulnerable to sexual assault, and disappears from the urine within 12 hours, making its use difficult to prove.

To make the fluorescent sensor, a team of scientists led by Professor Chang Young-Tae of the Department of Chemistry at the NUS Faculty of Science screened 5,500 dyes generated from different fluorescent scaffolds, to make a shortlist of 17 options. By testing these dyes against different concentrations of GHB, they found that one fluorescent orange dye, dubbed GHB Orange, changes colour when mixed with GHB, making it the ideal compound for testing drinks as the colour even shows up against brightly to the naked eye against dark drinks such as a “rum and coke”.

The team’s findings were first published in the journal Chemical Communications