Raman spectroscopy – Basic principle, instrumentation and selected applications for the characterization of drugs of abuse

Abstract This review gives an overview of the developments in the analysis of drugs of abuse and other illicit substances by Raman spectroscopy for forensic purpose. The review covers the brief overview of basic principle and instrumentation of Raman spectroscopy along with selected and recent applications for characterization of drugs of abuse using this technique. These applications show the potential value of Raman spectroscopy in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of trace amounts of drugs of abuse and other illicit substances on different matrices such as cloth, currency notes, fiber etc., without extensive sample preparation in a non-destructive manner.