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Selective Detection of Trace Nitroaromatic, Nitramine, and Nitrate Ester Explosive Residues Using a Three‐Step Fluorimetric Sensing Process: A Tandem Turn‐off, Turn‐on Sensor *
Author(s) -
Sanchez Jason C.,
Toal Sarah J.,
Wang Zheng,
Dugan Regina E.,
Trogler William C.
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.1556-4029.2007.00560.x
Subject(s) - pentaerythritol tetranitrate , explosive material , trinitrotoluene , luminescence , nitrate , detection limit , materials science , chemistry , nanotechnology , chromatography , optoelectronics , organic chemistry
Abstract: Detection of trace quantities of explosive residues plays a key role in military, civilian, and counter‐terrorism applications. To advance explosives sensor technology, current methods will need to become cheaper and portable while maintaining sensitivity and selectivity. The detection of common explosives including trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, cyclotetramethylene‐tetranitramine, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, 2,4,6‐trinitrophenyl‐N‐methylnitramine, and trinitroglycerin may be carried out using a three‐step process combining “turn‐off” and “turn‐on” fluorimetric sensing. This process first detects nitroaromatic explosives by their quenching of green luminescence of polymetalloles (λ em ≈ 400–510 nm). The second step places down a thin film of 2,3‐diaminonaphthalene (DAN) while “erasing” the polymetallole luminescence. The final step completes the reaction of the nitramines and/or nitrate esters with DAN resulting in the formation of a blue luminescent traizole complex (λ em = 450 nm) providing a “turn‐on” response for nitramine and nitrate ester‐based explosives. Detection limits as low as 2 ng are observed. Solid‐state detection of production line explosives demonstrates the applicability of this method to real world situations. This method offers a sensitive and selective detection process for a diverse group of the most common high explosives used in military and terrorist applications today.