Volume 64, Issue 1 pp. 223-230
Technical Note

Rapid Quantitative Analysis of Multiple Explosive Compound Classes on a Single Instrument via Flow-Injection Analysis Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Alla Ostrinskaya M.S.

Corresponding Author

Alla Ostrinskaya M.S.

Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technology Group, MIT-Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA, 02421

Corresponding author: Alla Ostrinskaya, M.S. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Roderick R. Kunz Ph.D.

Roderick R. Kunz Ph.D.

Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technology Group, MIT-Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA, 02421

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Michelle Clark Ph.D.

Michelle Clark Ph.D.

Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technology Group, MIT-Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA, 02421

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Richard P. Kingsborough Ph.D.

Richard P. Kingsborough Ph.D.

Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technology Group, MIT-Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA, 02421

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Ta-Hsuan Ong Ph.D.

Ta-Hsuan Ong Ph.D.

Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technology Group, MIT-Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA, 02421

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Sandra Deneault

Sandra Deneault

Chemical, Microsystem, and Nanoscale Technology Group, MIT-Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA, 02421

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First published: 24 May 2018
Citations: 17
Funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate. The funding office is correctly extracted from the article, HSARPA, Explosives Division, through Interagency Agreement HSHQPM-12-X-00057, and executed under Air Force Contract No. FA8721-05-C-0002 and/or FA8702-15-D-0001.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Homeland Security.

Abstract

A flow-injection analysis tandem mass spectrometry (FIA MSMS) method was developed for rapid quantitative analysis of 10 different inorganic and organic explosives. Performance is optimized by tailoring the ionization method (APCI/ESI), de-clustering potentials, and collision energies for each specific analyte. In doing so, a single instrument can be used to detect urea nitrate, potassium chlorate, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, 2,4,6-trinitrophenylmethylnitramine, triacetone triperoxide, hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine, nitroglycerin, and octohy-dro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine with sensitivities all in the picogram per milliliter range. In conclusion, FIA APCI/ESI MSMS is a fast (<1 min/sample), sensitive (~pg/mL LOQ), and precise (intraday RSD < 10%) method for trace explosive detection that can play an important role in criminal and attributional forensics, counterterrorism, and environmental protection areas, and has the potential to augment or replace several of the existing explosive detection methods.

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