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In this review we discuss the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to the problem of detection of residues of explosives. Research in this area presented in open literature is reviewed. Both laboratory and field-tested standoff LIBS instruments have been used to detect explosive materials. Recent advances in instrumentation and data analysis techniques are discussed, including the use of double-pulse LIBS to reduce air entrainment in the analytical plasma and the application of advanced chemometric techniques such as partial least-squares discriminant analysis to discriminate between residues of explosives and non-explosives on various surfaces. A number of challenges associated with detection of explosives residues using LIBS have been identified, along with their possible solutions. Several groups have investigated methods for improving the sensitivity and selectivity of LIBS for detection of explosives, including the use of femtosecond-pulse lasers, supplemental enhancement of the laser-induced plasma emission, and complementary orthogonal techniques. Despite the associated challenges, researchers have demonstrated the tremendous potential of LIBS for real-time detection of explosives residues at standoff distances.

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We report on the picosecond time-resolved fluorescence of 6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene (PRODAN) dissolved in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim]-[PF 6 ]) at 298 K as a function of solubilized water in the [bmim][PF 6 ] phase. The observed solvent relaxation dynamics can be described by three components with apparent relaxation times that occur over a large time regime (<15 ps to >10 ns). The average relaxation dynamics become faster as the water concentration in the [bmim][PF 6 ] phase increases. Libration and vibration, ion ballistic motion, ion local basin exploration, and ion basin hopping, ion diffusion, and/or the ultrafast relaxation from water (or other small molecules/impurities) are suggested as possible reasons for the yet unquantified sub-15-ps dynamics. The sub-nanosecond dynamics are consistent with [PF 6 ] anion relaxation. This process was found to be water-dependent, slowing as the amount of solubilized water in the [bmim][PF 6 ] phase increased. We speculate that this slowing arises from the formation of 1:2 H-bonded [PF 6 ]‚‚‚HOH‚‚‚[PF 6 ] complexes. The nanosecond dynamics are consistent with the cation, decreasing slightly with an increase in the amount of solubilized water. We suggest that the decrease in this relaxation time arises from a decrease in the bulk viscosity on adding water.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising technique for real-time chemical and biological warfare agent detection in the field. We have demonstrated the detection and discrimination of the biological warfare agent surrogates Bacillus subtilis (BG) (2% false negatives, 0% false positives) and ovalbumin (0% false negatives, 1% false positives) at 20 meters using standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (ST-LIBS) and linear correlation. Unknown interferent samples (not included in the model), samples on different substrates, and mixtures of BG and Arizona road dust have been classified with reasonable success using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). A few of the samples tested such as the soot (not included in the model) and the 25% BG:75% dust mixture resulted in a significant number of false positives or false negatives, respectively. Our preliminary results indicate that while LIBS is able to discriminate biomaterials with similar elemental compositions at standoff distances based on differences in key intensity ratios, further work is needed to reduce the number of false positives/negatives by refining the PLS-DA model to include a sufficient range of material classes and carefully selecting a detection threshold. In addition, we have demonstrated that LIBS can distinguish five different organophosphate nerve agent simulants at 20 meters, despite their similar stoichiometric formulas. Finally, a combined PLS-DA model for chemical, biological, and explosives detection using a single ST-LIBS sensor has been developed in order to demonstrate the potential of standoff LIBS for universal hazardous materials detection.