title: Fast gas chromatography of explosive compounds using a pulsed-discharge electron capture detector.
abstract: The detection of a mixture of nine explosive compounds, including nitrate esters, nitroaromatics, and a nitramine in less than 140 sec is described. The new method employs a commercially available pulsed-discharge electron capture detector (PDECD) coupled with a microbore capillary gas chromatography (GC) column in a standard GC oven to achieve on-column detection limits between 5 and 72 fg for the nine explosives studied. The PDECD has the benefit that it uses a pulsed plasma to generate the standing electron current instead of a radioactive source. The fast separation time limits on-column degradation of the thermally labile compounds and decreases the peak widths, which results in larger peak intensities and a concomitant improvement in detection limits. The combination of short analysis time and low detection limits make this method a potential candidate for screening large numbers of samples that have been prepared using techniques such as liquid-liquid extraction or solid-phase microextraction.
authors.affiliation: Center for Intelligent Chemical Instrumentation, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2979, USA.
authors.forename: Olivier L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Collin
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niegel
authors.forename: Kate E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Derhodes
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: McCord
authors.forename: Glen P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Jackson