Semtex 1A and H negative ion resonances for explosives’ detection

Abstract We present the results obtained in dissociative electron attachment to Semtex in the gas phase by making use of a crossed electron-molecular beam experiment. Energy dependence of partial cross sections has been measured in an electron energy range from 0 to 12 eV with an energy resolution of ∼80 meV. Semtex 1A and H are mixtures of two other explosives, i.e., royal demolition explosive – RDX (hexogen) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate – PETN (pentrite), appearing in different fractions. In fresh samples product anions from both explosives can be detected together with anions originating from volatile markers. After some time we only observe product ions formed upon dissociative electron attachment to PETN, which are not observed for a mixture of pure RDX and PETN. For both Semtex samples, an additional anionic feature at 210  m / z can be assigned to the binder butyl rubber.

[1]  T. Märk,et al.  Identification of isomers of nitrotoluene via free electron attachment. , 2007, Analytical chemistry.

[2]  Nicholas A. Charipar,et al.  Detection of explosives and related compounds by low-temperature plasma ambient ionization mass spectrometry. , 2011, Analytical chemistry.

[3]  M. Walsh,et al.  Determination of nitroaromatic, nitramine, and nitrate ester explosives in soil by gas chromatography and an electron capture detector. , 2001, Talanta.

[4]  T. Märk,et al.  Probing royal demolition explosive (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazocyclohexane) by low-energy electrons: Strong dissociative electron attachment near 0 eV. , 2009, The Journal of chemical physics.

[5]  P. Španěl,et al.  A study of the composition of the products of laser-induced breakdown of hexogen, octogen, pentrite and trinitrotoluene using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry and UV-Vis spectrometry. , 2010, The Analyst.

[6]  K. Voorhees,et al.  Theory and application of dissociative electron capture in molecular identification. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. A.

[7]  T. Märk,et al.  Dissociative electron attachment to pentaerythritol tetranitrate: significant fragmentation near 0 eV. , 2010, The Journal of chemical physics.

[8]  T. Märk,et al.  Probing di-nitrobenzene by low energy electrons: Identification of isomers via resonances in dissociative electron attachment , 2007 .

[9]  A. Chutjian,et al.  Negative-Ion formation in the explosives RDX, PETN, and TNT by using the reversal electron attachment detection technique , 1992, Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

[10]  Chris A. Mayhew,et al.  Applications of proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the sensitive and rapid real-time detection of solid high explosives , 2010 .

[11]  T. Märk,et al.  Metastable dissociation of anions formed by electron attachment. , 2008, Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry.

[12]  G. Eiceman,et al.  Quantitative calibration of vapor levels of TNT, RDX, and PETN using a diffusion generator with gravimetry and ion mobility spectrometry. , 1997, Talanta.

[13]  J. Florián,et al.  Nitramine anion fragmentation: A mass spectrometric and Ab initio study , 2007, Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

[14]  T. Märk,et al.  Probing trinitrotoluene (TNT) by low-energy electrons: Strong fragmentation following attachment of , 2008 .

[15]  T. Märk,et al.  Electron attachment studies to musk ketone and high mass resolution anionic isobaric fragment detection , 2008 .

[16]  R. Ewing,et al.  A critical review of ion mobility spectrometry for the detection of explosives and explosive related compounds. , 2001, Talanta.

[17]  Christopher C Mulligan,et al.  Desorption electrospray ionization with a portable mass spectrometer: in situ analysis of ambient surfaces. , 2006, Chemical communications.

[18]  M. Deinzer,et al.  Electron monochromator-mass spectrometer instrument for negative ion analysis of electronegative compounds. , 1996, Mass spectrometry reviews.