Ultra‐Fast Continuous‐Flow Photo Degradation of Organic Peroxide Explosives for Their Efficient Conversion into Hydrogen Peroxide and Possible Application

Abstract

Fast, quantitative, and efficient direct photo degradation of organic peroxide explosives (HMTD, MEKP, TATP) using characteristic continuous‐flow UV radiation was investigated in aqueous solutions and achieved in less than 30 s.

Application of photo degradation for remediation of cyclic nitramine and nitroaromatic explosives

“…21,37 Since 2011, the TNT based explosives in artillery shells of US Army were gradually being replaced by IMX-101 which is a mixture of DNAN, NTO and nitroguanidine (NQ). 38 Recently, Mahbub et al 39 reported another type of explosive known as organic peroxide explosives (OPEs) that manifested efficient photo degradation phenomenon despite having very low molar absorptivity coefficients. As opposed to cyclic nitramines and nitroaromatic explosives, the OPEs are extremely unstable and very sensitive to temperature, shock and friction.…”

Improvements in photostability and sensing properties of EuVO4 nanoparticles by microwave-assisted sol–gel route for detection of H2O2 vapors

“…H 2 O 2 is also a precursor and a decomposition product of organic peroxides [7], involved in terrorist activities. Hence, detection and quantification of H 2 O 2 is a major concern for safety applications.…”

Rapid and selective screening of organic peroxide explosives using acid-hydrolysis induced chemiluminescence

“…nitric, sulfuric or hydrochloric acids), acetone, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), are easily accessible. This along with their rapid and simple synthesis has prompted exploitation of OPEs in several public incidences [2]. OPEs are often chosen for such activities because HMTD and TATP achieve near military-grade detonation velocity, calculated as 60% and 88% of the velocity of 2,4,6-trinitro toluene, respectively [3].…”

“…Conventional detection of OPEs has included electrochemical [5,6], acid-hydrolysis [7], photolysis [2] , and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography-Fourier transform infrared (RP HPLC-FTIR) [8]. Additionally, surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF-MS) and direct analysis in real time (DART-MS) were employed in analyzing liquid OPE samples spread on ceramic tiles [9].…”

“…The IMS systems were reported to facilitate fast analysis time (<7 sec) [13], but the sample preparation time might take up to 16 days for specific OPEs (e.g., TATP) in explosive-mode (E-mode or negative IMS mode), mainly due to low detection sensitivity and high detection limit or LOD (3.9 µg for TATP) in E-mode [12]. In fact, the reported LODs of TATP (0.8 µg) in the studies of Oxley et al (2008), were achieved in narcotics-mode (N-mode or positive IMS mode) through (1) placing human hair directly into the IMS desorption chamber, (2) swabbing hair with a sample trap and its subsequent placement within the vapour desorption unit, and (3) adding acetonitrile extract of hair to sample trap and then sample trap to desorption unit [12]. Ideally, during a rapid screening scenario, a swab is preferable to placing bodily components into the IMS desorption unit.…”