Premium
Development of a Quantitative LC‐MS/MS Method for the Analysis of Common Propellant Powder Stabilizers in Gunshot Residue *
Author(s) -
Laza Désiré,
Nys Bart,
Kinder Jan De,
KirschDe Mesmaeker Andrée,
Moucheron Cécile
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2007.00490.x
Subject(s) - propellant , ammunition , chromatography , diphenylamine , mass spectrometry , residue (chemistry) , scanning electron microscope , tandem mass spectrometry , chemistry , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , metallurgy , organic chemistry , composite material
In traditional scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray analysis of gunshot residue (GSR), one has to cope more and more frequently with limitations of this technique due to the use of lead‐free ammunition or ammunition lacking heavy metals. New methods for the analysis of the organic components of common propellant powder stabilizers were developed based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). A multiple reactions monitoring scanning method was created for the screening of akardite II, ethylcentralite, diphenylamine, methylcentralite, N‐nitrosodiphenylamine, 2‐nitrodiphenylamine, and 4‐nitrodiphenylamine, present in standards mixtures. Five out of seven of these target compounds can be selectively identified and distinguished from the two others with a high accuracy. Samples from the hands of a shooter were collected by swabbing and underwent solid phase extraction prior to analysis. Detection limits ranging from 5 to 115 μg injected were achieved. Results from several firing trials show that the LC‐MS/MS method is suitable for the detection of stabilizers in samples collected following the firing of 9 mm Para ammunitions.