title: Detection of explosives on solid surfaces by thermal desorption and ambient ion/molecule reactions.
abstract: A simple, fast and direct method is presented for detecting traces of solid explosives on cotton swabs or in particulate samples: ions are transferred into a mass spectrometer after thermal desorption and corona discharge chemical ionization in ambient air; specificity is enhanced using ambient ion/molecule reactions or by conventional tandem mass spectrometry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, 560 Oval Drive, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Igor A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Popov
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Oleg N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Kharybin
authors.forename: Eugene N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Nikolaev
authors.forename: R Graham
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Cooks