title: Reliable, rapid and simple voltammetric detection of urea nitrate explosive.
abstract: A highly selective and rapid electrochemical assay of the improvised explosive urea nitrate (UN) is reported. The method involves a short ( approximately 10 s) acid-catalyzed reaction of UN with 4-nitrotoluene (NT) followed by a rapid ( approximately 2 s) square-wave voltammetric (SWV) detection of the 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) product. The new protocol offers great promise for a reliable field detection of UN, with significant advantages of speed, sensitivity, portability, simplicity, and cost.
authors.affiliation: The Biodesign Institute and Departments of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5801, USA.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cagan
authors.forename: Donglai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cizek
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: La Belle
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000032:analysis; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012637:Security Measures; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D014508:Urea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D053834:Explosive Agents; D009566:Nitrates; D014050:Toluene; C016403:2,4-dinitrotoluene; D014508:Urea; C530477:urea nitrate; C017572:4-nitrotoluene