Development of a Gas Chromatography with High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Methodology for BDNPA/F.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Bis(2,2-dinitropropyl) acetal/formal (BDNPA/F) is an energetic plasticizer.
• Traditional liquid chromatography (LC) is used due to thermal decomposition issues with gas chromatography (GC).
• GC is generally preferred for volatile and semivolatile compound analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop a GC method for analyzing BDNPA/F with minimal thermal decomposition.
• Optimize inlet parameters for enhanced separation.
• Explore different ionization methods for comprehensive analysis.

Main Methods:

• Gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS).
• Programmable temperature vaporizer (PTV) inlet with optimized temperature ramp rate (60 °C/min from 60 to 325 °C).
• Electron impact (EI), negative chemical ionization (NCI), and positive chemical ionization (PCI) techniques.

Main Results:

• Optimized GC-HRMS method significantly reduced thermal decomposition of BDNPA/F.
• Achieved excellent separation of native compounds and thermal decomposition products.
• Demonstrated the utility of different ionization methods in differentiating BDNPA/F samples.

Conclusions:

• GC-HRMS with a PTV inlet is effective for analyzing thermally labile compounds like BDNPA/F.
• The method allows for detailed chemical characterization, including distinguishing between aged and unaged samples.
• This approach offers valuable insights into the stability and degradation of energetic materials.