Analytical Instrument Documents

The AccuTOF time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART™) has been used to detect a wide variety of explosives in or on a variety of materials ranging from solutions to samples deposited on surfaces ranging from ABS plastic to metal, clothing and cardboard. Detection is rapid, specific, and sensitive.

Please see the following publication: “Versatile New Ion Source for the Analysis of Materials in Open Air under Ambient Conditions” Robert B. Cody, James A. Laramee and H. Dupont Durst, Analytical Chemistry 77 (8), 2297- 2302, 2005

Methamphetamine is a Schedule II Controlled Substance that is illegally manufactured in clandestine labs. There are several common synthetic pathways in use. For this study, methamphetamine was synthesized from phenyl-2-propanone by the (1) Leukart synthesis or (2) Reductive Amination, or from ephedrine or pseudoephedrine by the (3) Nagai, (4) Birch, and (5) Edme syntheses. Each of these reaction sequences resulted in unique impurity profiles1-3 that can be used by law enforcement to track the activities of clan labs, distribution networks, and trafficking patterns. The AccuTOF-DART was used to examine the starting materials, reaction mixtures, and final products from each reaction scheme.

Fingerprints contain a great deal of chemical information that is not often exploited for forensic analysis. DART can detect and identify the chemical components of fingerprints, often providing information about what substances a subject has been handling.

The identification of pressure-sensitive tapes such as duct tape and electrical tape is an important forensic application. Here we show the application of thermal desorption and pyrolysis combined with Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) mass spectrometry to distinguish between manufacturers and brands of duct tapes. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) provides complementary information about the atomic composition of the different tapes.

The AccuTOF-DART can detect a variety of substances in biological fluids such as urine, blood, and saliva with little or no sample preparation. These substances include drugs, amino acids, lipids, and metabolites.

Smokeless powders (Figure 1) are often used in improvised explosive devices. The formulations for smokeless powders vary between manufacturers and between brands from a given manufacturer; ingredients include energetics, stabilizers, plasticizers and deterrents. Chemical analysis of smokeless powders can provide valuable forensic evidence. Here we show that the AccuTOF-DART mass spectrometer can rapidly identify the organic components in smokeless powders and provide a chemical fingerprint that can be used to identify individual powder particles.