Detection of Nitroaromatic and Peroxide Explosives in Air Using Infrared Spectroscopy: QCL and FTIR. (7th May 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pacheco-Londoño, Leonardo C.; Castro-Suarez, John R.; Hernández-Rivera, Samuel P.
• Other Names: Belendez Augusto Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Advances in optical technologies. Volume 2013(2013)
• Publication Date: 2013-05-07
• Subjects: Optoelectronics -- Periodicals; Optoelectronics; Physics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 621.36
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/532670
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-6393

Abstract

Abstract : A methodology for processing spectroscopic information using a chemometrics-based analysis was designed and implemented in the detection of highly energetic materials (HEMs) in the gas phase at trace levels. The presence of the nitroaromatic HEM 2, 4-dinitrotoluene (2, 4-DNT) and the cyclic organic peroxide triacetone triperoxide (TATP) in air was detected by chemometrics-enhanced vibrational spectroscopy. Several infrared experimental setups were tested using traditional heated sources (globar), modulated and nonmodulated FT-IR, and quantum cascade laser- (QCL-) based dispersive IR spectroscopy. The data obtained from the gas phase absorption experiments in the midinfrared (MIR) region were used for building the chemometrics models. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to generate pattern recognition schemes for trace amounts of explosives in air. The QCL-based methodology exhibited a better capacity of discrimination for the detected presence of HEM in air compared to other methodologies.