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Current trends in the detection of peroxide-based explosives

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An Erratum to this article was published on 23 February 2010

Abstract

The increased use of peroxide-based explosives (PBEs) in criminal and terrorist activity has created a demand for continued innovation in the detection of these agents. This review provides an update to a previous 2006 review on the detection of PBEs, with a focus in this report on luminescence and fluorescence methods, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and electrochemical techniques. Newer developments in gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography methods are also discussed. One recent trend that is discussed is an emphasis on field measurements through the use of portable instruments or portable assay formats. An increase in the use of infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for PBE analysis is also noted. The analysis of triacetone triperoxide has been the focus in the development of many of these methods, although hexamethylene triperoxide diamine has received increased attention in PBE detection during the last few years.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by DARPA grant N66001-08-1-2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, 704 Hamilton Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0304, USA

    Raychelle M. Burks & David S. Hage

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  1. Raychelle M. Burks
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  2. David S. Hage
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Correspondence to David S. Hage.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3480-7

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Burks, R.M., Hage, D.S. Current trends in the detection of peroxide-based explosives. Anal Bioanal Chem 395, 301–313 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-2968-5

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