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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Quantitative Detection of Trace Explosive Vapors by Programmed Temperature Desorption Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector
Published on: July 25, 2014
Detection of explosives on solid surfaces by thermal desorption and ambient ion/molecule reactions
Igor A Popov1, Hao Chen, Oleg N Kharybin
1Department of Chemistry, 560 Oval Drive, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Abstract:
A simple, fast and direct method is presented for detecting traces of solid explosives on cotton swabs or in particulate samples: ions are transferred into a mass spectrometer after thermal desorption and corona discharge chemical ionization in ambient air; specificity is enhanced using ambient ion/molecule reactions or by conventional tandem mass spectrometry.
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