Predicting Temperature-Dependent Solid Vapor Pressures of Explosives and Related Compounds Using a Quantum Mechanical Continuum Solvation Model

Explosive Odor Signature Profiling: A Review of recent advances in technical analysis and detection

With the ever-increasing threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and homemade explosives (HME) both domestically and abroad, detection of explosives and explosive related materials is an area of urgent importance for preventing terrorist activities around the globe. Canines are a common biological detector used in explosive detection due to their enhanced olfactory abilities, high mobility, efficient standoff sampling, and optimal identification of vapor sources. While other sensors based on different principles have emerged, an important concept for the rapid field detection of explosives is understanding key volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with these materials. Explosive detection technology needs to be on par with a large number of threats including an array of explosive materials as well as novel chemicals used in the manufacture of IEDs. Within this much needed area of research for law enforcement and homeland security applications, several studies have sought to understand the explosive odor profile from a range of materials. This review aims to provide a foundational overview of these studies to provide a summary of instrumental analysis to date on the various types of explosive odor profiles evaluated focusing on the experimental approaches and laboratory techniques utilized in the chemical characterization of explosive vapors and mixtures. By expanding upon these concepts, a greater understanding of the explosive vapor signature can be achieved, providing for enhanced chemical and biological sensing of explosive threats as well as expanding upon existing laboratory-based models for continued sensor development.

Ultra-sensitive gas phase detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by non-covalently functionalized graphene field effect transistors

The high energy density (4.2 MJ kg-1) and low vapour pressure (7.2 × 10-9 atm) of chemical explosives such as TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) pose a grave security risk demanding immediate attention. Detection of such hazardous and highly challenging chemicals demands specific, ultra-sensitive and rapid detection platforms that can concomitantly transduce the signal as an electrical readout. Although chemo-sensitive strategies have been investigated, the majority of them are restricted to detecting TNT from solutions and are therefore not implementable in real-time, on-field situations. Addressing this demand, we report an ultra-sensitive (parts-per-billion) and rapid (∼40 s) detection platform for TNT based on non-covalently functionalized graphene field effect transistors (GFETs). This multi-parametric GFET detector exhibits a reliable and specific modulation in its Dirac point upon exposure to TNT in the vapour phase. The chemical specificity provided by 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tri(p-tolyl) zinc porphyrin (ZnTTPOH) is synergistically combined with the high surface sensitivity of graphene through a non-covalent functionalization approach to realise p-doped GFETs (Zn-GFETs). Such a FET platform exhibits extremely sensitive shifts in Dirac point (ΔDP) that correlate with the number of nitro groups present in the analyte. Analytes with mono-, di-, and tri-nitro substituted aromatic molecules exhibit distinctly different ΔDP, leading to unprecedented specificity towards TNT. Additionally, the Dirac point of Zn-GFETs is invariant for common and potential interferons such as acetone and 2-propanol (perfume emulsifiers) thereby validating their practical applicability. Furthermore, the ΔDP is also manifested as changes in the contact potential of GFETs, indicating that sub-monolayer coverage of ZnTTPOH is sufficient to modulate the transfer characteristics of GFETs over an area 1000 times larger than the dopant dimensions. Specifically, ZnTTPOH-functionalized GFETs exhibit p-doped behaviour with positive ΔDP with respect to pristine GFETs. Such p-doped Zn-GFETs undergo selective charge-transfer mediated interactions with TNT resulting in enhanced electron withdrawal from Zn-GFETs. Thus the ΔDP shifts to a higher positive gate voltage leading to the dichotomous combination of the highest signal generation (1.2 × 1012 V mol-1) with ppb level molecular sensitivity. Significantly, the signal generated due to TNT is 105 times higher in magnitude compared to other potential interferons. The signal reliability is established in cross-sensitivity measurements carried out with a TNT-mDNB (1 : 10 molar ratio) mixture pointing to high specificity for immediate applications under atmospherically relevant conditions pertaining to homeland security and global safety.

Vapor Pressure of Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine (HMTD) Estimated Using Secondary Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

A rapid method for vapor pressure measurement was developed and used to derive the vapor pressure curve of the thermally labile peroxide-based explosive hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) over the temperature range from 28 to 80 °C. This method uses a controlled flow of vapor from a solid-phase HMTD source that is presented to an ambient-pressure-ionization mass spectrometer equipped with a secondary-electrospray-ionization (SESI) source. The subpart-per-trillion sensitivity of this system enables direct detection of HMTD vapor through an intact [M + H](+) ion in real time at temperatures near 20 °C. By calibrating this method using vapor sources of cocaine and heroin, which have known pressure-temperature (P-T) curves, the temperature dependence of HMTD vapor was determined, and a Clausius-Clapeyron plot of ln[P (Pa)] vs 1/[T (K)] yielded a straight line with the expression ln[P (Pa)] = {(-11091 ± 356) × 1/[T (K)]} + 25 ± 1 (error limits are the standard error of the regression analysis). From this equation, the sublimation enthalpy of HMTD was estimated to be 92 ± 3 kJ/mol, which compares well with the theoretical estimate of 95 kJ/mol, and the vapor pressure at 20 °C was estimated to be ∼60 parts per trillion by volume, which is within a factor of 2 of previous theoretical estimates. Thus, this method provides not only the first direct experimental determination of HMTD vapor pressure but also a rapid, near-real-time capability to quantitatively measure low-vapor-pressure compounds, which will be useful for aiding in the development of training aids for bomb-sniffing canines.

Predicting pKa in Implicit Solvents: Current Status and Future Directions

Computational prediction of condensed phase acidity is a topic of much interest in the field today. We introduce the methods available for predicting gas phase acidity and pKas in aqueous and non-aqueous solvents including high-level electronic structure methods, empirical linear free energy relationships (LFERs), implicit solvent methods, explicit solvent statistical free energy methods, and hybrid implicit–explicit approaches. The focus of this paper is on implicit solvent methods, and we review recent developments including new electronic structure methods, cluster-continuum schemes for calculating ionic solvation free energies, as well as address issues relating to the choice of proton solvation free energy to use with implicit solvation models, and whether thermodynamic cycles are necessary for the computation of pKas. A comparison of the scope and accuracy of implicit solvent methods with ab initio molecular dynamics free energy methods is also presented. The present status of the theory and future directions are outlined.