Rapid Quantification of Ammonium Nitrate and Urea Nitrate Using Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Orbitrap Mass...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Mass Spectrometry
• Chemical Analysis

Background:

• Energetic ionic species are crucial chemical materials requiring robust analytical methods.
• Previous quantification attempts used time-of-flight measurements with crown ether (CE) complexation and flow injection analysis (FIA).
• Advancements in mass spectrometry offer new possibilities for analyzing challenging samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a high-resolution mass spectrometry method for identifying and quantifying energetic ionic species.
• To explore the use of crown ether complexation with orbitrap mass spectrometry for analyzing ammonium nitrate (AN) and urea nitrate (UN).
• To demonstrate the capability for routine and rapid analysis of these materials.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry.
• Employed crown ether (CE) complexation for analyzing ammonium nitrate (AN) and urea nitrate (UN).
• Performed product ion scans for species identification and quantification via flow injection analysis (FIA) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Main Results:

• Successfully identified energetic ionic species (AN and UN) through their signature complexes.
• Demonstrated quantification capabilities using both FIA and LC-MS techniques.
• Confirmed the effectiveness of the orbitrap mass spectrometry approach for these analyses.

Conclusions:

• High-resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry coupled with CE complexation provides a powerful tool for analyzing energetic ionic species.
• The developed method allows for positive identification and accurate quantification.
• This analytical platform supports routine and rapid analysis of critical energetic materials.