Detection of volatile vapors emitted from explosives with a handheld ion mobility spectrometer

Abstract

Vapor detection of plastic explosives is difficult because of the low vapor pressures of explosive components (i.e. RDX and PETN) present in the complex elastomeric matrix. To facilitate vapor detection of plastic explosives, detection agents (taggants) with higher vapor pressures can be added to bulk explosives during manufacture. This paper investigates the detection of two of these taggants, ethyleneglycol dinitrate (EGDN) and 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB), using a handheld ion mobility spectrometer. These two taggants were detected both from neat vapor sources as well as from bulk explosives (nitroglycerin (NG)-dynamite and C-4 tagged with DMNB). EGDN was detected from NGdynamite as EGDN·NO 3− at a reduced mobility value of 1.45 cm 2 V −1 s −1 with detection limits estimated to be about 10 ppb v . DMNB was identified from tagged C-4 as both negative and positive ions with reduced mobility values of 1.33 cm 2 V −1 s −1 for DMNB·NO 2 − and 1.44 cm 2 V −1 s −1 for DMNB·NH 4 + . Positive ions for cyclohexanone were also apparent in the spectra from tagged C-4 producing three additional peaks.

Bimaterial Microcantilevers as a Hybrid Sensing Platform

“…Such low cost sensors could be arranged as a sensor grid for large area coverage of sensitive infrastructure, like airports, public buildings, or traffic infrastructure. Microfabricated detectors for explosives will be very useful as compact versions of established monitoring technologies like the ion mobility spectrometer [238] or nuclear quadrupole resonance [239] have been developed, but are not likely to be miniaturized further. Two approaches have been adapted for the detection of explosives using MCs: 1) static or dynamic mode of operation where MCs are functionalized with SAMs or polymer layers to achieve selective binding.…”

Sensitive Voltammetric Sensing of the 2,3‐Dimethyl‐2,3‐dinitrobutane (Dmnb) Explosive Taggant

“…The detection of high energy (plastic) explosives is particularly challenging owing to the low vapor pressure of their RDX and PETN components (low pg/L at ambient temperatures). Detection tags with high vapor pressure, particularly 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB), are thus commonly added to commercial explosives to facilitate the vapor detection of plastic explosives [3,4]. Detection taggant is a substance added to an explosive material to facilitate its detection before detonation [4].…”

The application of single particle aerosol mass spectrometry for the detection and identification of high explosives and chemical warfare agents

“…12 Explosives are commonly identified using colorimetry, 13 UV-absorption spectroscopy, 14,15 laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), 16,17 immunoassay, 18 ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), [19][20][21][22][23] and mass spectrometry (ion trap and time-of-flight (TOF)). [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] It should be noted that research into explosives detection is performed on gas, liquid, and/or solid phase explosives, and that the sampling methods and concepts of operation vary widely between the different techniques.…”

“…Ewing and Miller employed a hand-held, gas-sampling, corona discharge ionization IMS for the detection of several explosives and taggants. 20 They estimated an LOD near 10 ppb (µg/L) for the taggant EGDN in nitroglycerin-dynamite. 20 Tam and Hill used secondary electrospray ionization (SESI)-IMS for explosives detection.…”

“…20 They estimated an LOD near 10 ppb (µg/L) for the taggant EGDN in nitroglycerin-dynamite. 20 Tam and Hill used secondary electrospray ionization (SESI)-IMS for explosives detection. 23 that detected TNT, RDX, and PETN both individually and in mixed samples.…”