title: Deep ultraviolet resonance Raman excitation enables explosives detection.
abstract: We measured the 229 nm absolute ultraviolet (UV) Raman cross-sections of the explosives trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine (RDX), the chemically related nitroamine explosive HMX, and ammonium nitrate in solution. The 229 nm Raman cross-sections are 1000-fold greater than those excited in the near-infrared and visible spectral regions. Deep UV resonance Raman spectroscopy enables detection of explosives at parts-per-billion (ppb) concentrations and may prove useful for stand-off spectroscopic detection of explosives.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Chemistry, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Tuschel
authors.forename: Aleksandr V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Mikhonin
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Lemoff
authors.forename: Sanford A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Asher