The detection of trace explosives is important for forensic, military, and homeland security applications. Detection of widely used nitroaromatic explosives (trinitrotoluene [TNT], 2,4-dinitrotoluene [DNT], picric acid [PA]) was carried out using photoluminescent metallole-containing polymers. The method of detection is through the quenching of fluorescence of thin films of the polymer, prepared by spray coating organic solutions of the polymer, by the explosive analyte. Visual quenching of luminescence (lambda(em) approximately 400-510 nm) in the presence of the explosive is seen immediately upon illumination with near-UV light (lambda(ex)=360 nm). Detection limits were observed to be as low as 5 ng for TNT, 20 ng for DNT, and 5 ng for PA. In addition, experiments with normal production line explosives and their components show that this technology is also able to detect composition B, Pyrodex, and nitromethane. This method offers a convenient and sensitive method of detection of trace nitroaromatic explosive residue.
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 (lambda em approximately 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 (lambda(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.
IDA publishes the following documents to report the results ot its work. Reports Reports are the most authoritative and most carefully considered products IDA publishes. They normally embody results of ma|or projects which (a) have a direct bearing on decisions affecting major programs, (b) address Issues of significant concern to the Executive Branch, the Congress and/or the public, or (c) address issues that have significant economic implications. IDA Reports are reviewed by outside panels of experts to ensure their high quality and relevance to the problems studied, and they are released by the President of IDA. Group Reports Group Reports record the findings and results of IDA established working groups and panels composed of senior Individuals addressing ma|or issues which otherwise would be the subiect of an IDA Report. IDA Group Reports are reviewed by the senior individuals responsible for the project and others as selected by IDA to ensure their high quality and relevance to the problems studied, and are released by the President of IDA. Papers Papers also authoritative and carefully considered products of IDA, address studies that are narrower in scope than those covered in Reports. IDA Papers are reviewed to ensure that they meet the high standards expected of refereed papers in professional journals or formal Agency reports. Documents IDA Documents are used for the convenience of the sponsors or the analysts (a) to record substantive work done in quick reaction studies, (b) to record the proceedings of conferences and meetings, (e) to make available preliminary and tentative results of analyses (d) to record data developed in the course of an investigation, or (e) to forward information that is essentially unanalyzed and unevaluated. The review of IDA Documents is suited to their content and intended use. The work reported in this document was conducted under contract DASW01 94 C 0054 for the Department of Defense. The publication of this IDA document does not indicate endorsement by the Department of Defense, nor should the contents be construed as reflecting the official position of that Agency.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.