Direct detection of explosives on solid surfaces by mass spectrometry with an ambient ion source based on dielectric barrier discharge
- 6 July 2007
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Mass Spectrometry
- Vol. 42 (8), 1079-1085
- https://doi.org/10.1002/jms.1243
Abstract
Trace amounts of explosives on solid surfaces were detected by mass spectrometry at ambient conditions with a new technique termed dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI). By the needle–plate discharge mode, a plasma discharge with energetic electrons was generated, which could launch the desorption and ionization of the explosives from solid surfaces. Hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX), 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) were desorbed directly from the explosives‐contaminated surface by DBDI, forming the typical anions of [TNT]−, [TNT − H]−, [RDX + NO2]−, [PETN + ONO2]−, and [RDX + ONO2]−. The ions were transferred into the MS instrument for analysis in the negative ion mode. The detection limit of present method was 10 pg for TNT (m/z 197, S/N 8 : 1), 0.1 ng for RDX (m/z 284, S/N 10 : 1), and 1 ng for PETN (m/z 260, S/N 12 : 1). The present method allowed the detection of trace explosives on various matrices, including paper, cloth, chemical fiber, glass, paints, and soil. A relative standard deviation of 5.57% was achieved by depositing 100 pg of TNT on these matrices. The analysis of A‐5, a mixture of RDX and additives, has been carried out and the results were consistent with the reference values. The DBDI‐MS method represents a simple and rapid way for the detection of explosives with high sensitivity and specificity, which is especially useful when they are present in trace amounts on ordinary environmental surfaces. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Keywords
This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- Fragmentation study of hexanitrostilbene by ion trap multiple mass spectrometry and analysis by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometryRapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2006
- Investigation of the ionisation and fragmentation behaviour of different nitroaromatic compounds occurring as polar metabolites of explosives using electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometryRapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2006
- Characterization of high explosive particles using cluster secondary ion mass spectrometryRapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2006
- TNT Detection Using Multiplexed Liquid Array Displacement ImmunoassaysAnalytical Chemistry, 2006
- Equilibrium Partitioning Model Applied to RDX−Halide Adduct Formation in Electrospray Ionization Mass SpectrometryAnalytical Chemistry, 2005
- Versatile New Ion Source for the Analysis of Materials in Open Air under Ambient ConditionsAnalytical Chemistry, 2005
- A rapid and efficient mass spectrometric method for the analysis of explosivesRapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2002
- Determination of nitroaromatic, nitramine, and nitrate ester explosives in soil by gas chromatography and an electron capture detectorTalanta, 2001
- In situ detection of trinitrotoluene and other nitrated explosives in soilsAnalytica Chimica Acta, 1997
- Mass spectral fragmentation pathways in some dinitroaromatic compounds studied by collision-induced dissociation and tandem mass spectrometryJournal of Mass Spectrometry, 1992