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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Quantitative Detection of Trace Explosive Vapors by Programmed Temperature Desorption Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector
Published on: July 25, 2014
Detection of explosives and explosives-related compounds by single photon laser ionization time-of-flight mass
Christopher Mullen1, Amos Irwin, Bethany V Pond
1Molecular Physics Laboratory, SRI International, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
Abstract:
The application of single photon ionization in combination with mass-selective detection by time-of-flight mass spectrometry is described for the rapid detection of the nitro-containing explosives and explosives-related compounds nitrobenzene, 1,3-dinitrobenzene, o-nitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, as well as the peroxide-based explosive triacetone triperoxide in the gas phase. The technique is demonstrated to be a plausible approach for laser-based rapid detection of explosives. The limits of detection for nitrobenzene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene using SPI were also measured and determined to be 17-24 (S/N approximately 2:1) and approximately 40 ppb (S/N approximately 2:1), respectively.
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