Characterization of the explosive triacetone triperoxide and detection by ion mobility spectrometry
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Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Analysis of Volatile and Oxidation Sensitive Compounds Using a Cold Inlet System and Electron Impact Mass Spectrometry
Published on: September 5, 2014
Gavin A Buttigieg1, Andrew K Knight, Stephen Denson
1Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. gavin@mg0815.com
Abstract:
The improvised explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was synthesized and characterized by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C-NMR, Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Triacetone triperoxide was subsequently analyzed by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) in positive ion mode, and detected as a cluster of three peaks with a drift time of the most intense peak at 13.06 ms. Triacetone triperoxide was then analyzed after dissolution in toluene, where a dramatic increase in peak intensity was observed, at a flight time of 12.56 ms (K0=2.71 cm2V(-1)s(-1)). Triacetone triperoxide was subsequently analyzed by coupling the ion mobility spectrometer to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, where a single peak at m/z of 223 atomic mass units identified the species present in the ion mobility spectra as being triacetone triperoxide.
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