Detection of Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) and Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine (HMTD) from the Gas Phase with Differential Ion Mobility Spectrometry (DMS)

Abstract

One of the significant problems in the modern world is the detection of improvised explosives made of materials synthesized at home. Such compounds include triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD). An attempt was made to construct an instrument allowing for the simultaneous detection of both compounds despite the large difference of vapor pressure: very high for TATP and very low for HMTD. The developed system uses differential ion mobility spectrometry (DMS) in combination with a specially designed gas sample injection system. The created system of detectors allowed for the detection of a high concentration of TATP and a very low concentration of HMTD. TATP detection was possible despite the presence of impurities—acetone remaining from the technological process and formed as a coproduct of diacetone diperoxide (DADP) synthesis. Ammonia added to the carrier gas improved the possibility of detecting the abovementioned explosives, reducing the intensity of the acetone signal. The obtained results were then compared with the detection capabilities of drift tube ion mobility spectrometer (DT-IMS), which has not made possible such detection as DMS.

Machine learning methods for the detection of explosives, drugs and precursor chemicals gathered using a colorimetric sniffer sensor

“…Differential mobility spectrometry with ng uL −1 (ppm) detection limit of HMTD and TATP. 49,50 The current limit for detection of TATP and HMTD using this method is 1 ng mL −1 .…”

Discriminating sensing of explosive molecules using graphene–boron nitride–graphene heteronanosheets

“…The development of suitable detector to sense this materials has received attention from research groups. 5,7,[47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54] In this paper, we demonstrate that graphene-boron nitride-graphene heteronanosheet (h-NSHs) can be a promising candidate for discriminating sensing of these explosive materials. h-NSHs are formed from two graphene nanosheets as le/right leads connecting via equivalent boron nitride nanosheet as scattering region as shown in Fig.…”

Highly Sensitive, Easy-to-Use, One-Step Detection of Peroxide-, Nitrate- and Chlorate-Based Explosives with Electron-Rich Ni Porphyrins

“…Unfortunately, this method can only be applied to peroxides with high vapor pressure, such as TATP 1 (6.95 Pa at 25 °C) 16,17 and deoxyadenosine diphosphate (DADP, 17.7 Pa), 18 but not to HMTD 4, which is considerably less volatile (3.9 × 10 −2 Pa). 19 To simplify existing detection methods, we set out to develop a sensitive, redox-responsive dye, which is stable under acidic conditions. This would allow us to mix the redox dye with the hydrolyzing acid to perform the detection in one step.…”

“…Using a colorimetric sensor array, the approach discriminates between TATP and other peroxides and oxidants. Unfortunately, this method can only be applied to peroxides with high vapor pressure, such as TATP 1 (6.95 Pa at 25 °C) , and deoxyadenosine diphosphate (DADP, 17.7 Pa), but not to HMTD 4 , which is considerably less volatile (3.9 × 10 –2 Pa) …”