Abstract
In order to identify the type and origin of explosives in post-explosion debris, several groups of explosives, including TNT, RDX, nitroglycerin, PETN, EGDN, ammonium nitrate and some other inorganic oxidizers, were studied using LC/MS with electrospray and APCI ionization, and MS/MS for further confirmation of identified ions.
Characterization and origin identification of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was done by means of its byproduct isomer profile, including isomers of trinitrotoluene, dinitrotoluene, trinitrobenzene and dinitrobenzene, which are all by-products in the industrial production process of TNT.
Nitrate ester explosives (EGDN, NG and PETN) were studied by ESI- and APCI-LC/MS, using postcolumn additives. Explosives in mixtures could be identified at levels down to 5 ppb.
Formation processes of adduct ions in electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) of RDX were studied and origin of these adduct ions was determined.
A group of inorganic oxidizers were investigated. It was found that under certain conditions (temperature of heated capillary and selection of positive- vs. negative-ions) it is possible to identify these oxidizers by ESI-MS. These compounds produced cluster ions, which contained the entire oxidizer molecule.
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References
Zhao, X. and Yinon, J. (2002) “Characterization and origin identification of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene through its by-product isomers by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry”, J. Chromatogr. A, 946, 125–132.
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Zhao, X. and Yinon, J. (2002) “Forensic identification of explosive oxidizers by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry”, Rapid Comm. Mass Spectrom., 1137–1146.
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© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Yinon, J., Zhao, X., Gapeev, A. (2004). Tracking the Terrorists: Identification of Explosive Residues in Post-Explosion Debris by LC/MS Methods. In: Krausa, M., Reznev, A.A. (eds) Vapour and Trace Detection of Explosives for Anti-Terrorism Purposes. NATO Science Series, vol 167. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2716-1_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2716-1_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-2715-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-2716-1
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