title: Characterization of the explosive triacetone triperoxide and detection by ion mobility spectrometry.
abstract: The improvised explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was synthesized and characterized by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C-NMR, Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Triacetone triperoxide was subsequently analyzed by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) in positive ion mode, and detected as a cluster of three peaks with a drift time of the most intense peak at 13.06 ms. Triacetone triperoxide was then analyzed after dissolution in toluene, where a dramatic increase in peak intensity was observed, at a flight time of 12.56 ms (K0=2.71 cm2V(-1)s(-1)). Triacetone triperoxide was subsequently analyzed by coupling the ion mobility spectrometer to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, where a single peak at m/z of 223 atomic mass units identified the species present in the ion mobility spectra as being triacetone triperoxide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. gavin@mg0815.com
authors.forename: Gavin A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Buttigieg
authors.forename: Andrew K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Denson
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pommier
authors.forename: M Bonner
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Denton
mesh_terms: D000096:Acetone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D010545:Peroxides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D010545:Peroxides; D000096:Acetone