EXPLOSIVES DETECTION: A Challenge for Physical Chemistry

TLDR

The detection of explosives and related compounds for security screening, demining, unexploded ordnance detection, and pollution monitoring remains a challenging field involving diverse detection methods and complex physical chemistry issues. This review examines optical, mass spectrometric, and chromatographic techniques for rapid trace detection of explosives and their decomposition fragments. The review also surveys available molecular data for explosive compounds.

Abstract

The detection of explosives, energetic materials, and their associated compounds for security screening, demining, detection of unexploded ordnance, and pollution monitoring is an active area of research. A wide variety of detection methods and an even wider range of physical chemistry issues are involved in this very challenging area. This review focuses on techniques such as optical and mass spectrometry and chromatography for detection of trace amounts of explosives with short response times. We also review techniques for detecting the decomposition fragments of these materials. Molecular data for explosive compounds are reviewed where available.