Abstract
Standoff infrared and Raman spectroscopy (SIRS and SRS) detection systems were designed from commercial instrumentation and successfully tested in remote detection of high explosives (HE). The SIRS system was configured by coupling a Fourier-transform infrared interferometer to a gold mirror and detector. The SRS instrument was built by fiber coupling a spectrograph to a reflective telescope. HE samples were detected on stainless steel surfaces as thin films (2–30 μg/cm2) for SIRS experiments and as particles (3–85 mg) for SRS measurements. Nitroaromatic HEs: TNT, DNT, RDX, C4, and Semtex-H and TATP cyclic peroxide homemade explosive were used as targets. For the SIRS experiments, samples were placed at increasing distances and an infrared beam was reflected from the stainless steel surfaces coated with the target chemicals at an angle of ∼180° from surface normal. Stainless steel plates containing TNT and RDX were first characterized for coverage distribution and surface concentration by reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy. Targets were then placed at the standoff distance and SIRS spectra were collected in active reflectance mode. Limits of detection (LOD) were determined for all distances measured for the target HE. LOD values of 18 and 20 μg/cm2 were obtained for TNT and RDX, respectively, for the SIR longest standoff distance measured. For SRS experiments, as low as 3 mg of TNT and RDX were detected at 7 m source–target distance employing 488 and 514.5 nm excitation wavelengths. The first detection and quantification study of the important formulation C4 is reported. Detection limits as function of laser powers and acquisition times and at a standoff distance of 7 m were obtained.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Yinon J, Zitrin S (1993) Modern methods and applications in the analysis of explosives. Wiley, New York
Steinfeld JI, Wormhoudt J (1998) Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 49:203
Yinon J (1999) Forensic and environmental detection of explosives. Wiley, Chichester, UK
http://www.pnl.gov/nationalsecurity/explosives.detection/stand_off.stmhttp://www.pnl.gov/nationalsecurity/docs/ied_brochure.pdf (accessed 24-Feb-2009)
Smith BC (1996) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. CRC, Boca Raton, FL
Mirabella FM (1993) Internal reflection spectroscopy. Dekker, New York, N.Y.
Gunzler H, Gremlich H-U (2002) IR Spectroscopy. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany
Bougeard D, Buback M, Cao A, Gerwert K, Heise HM, Hoffmann GG, Jordanov B, Kiefer W, Korte EH, Kuzmany H, Leipertz A, Lentz E, Liquier J, Roseler A, Schnockel H, Schrader B, Schrotter HW, Spiekermann M, Taillandier E, Willner H (1995) Infrared and raman spectroscopy. VCH, Weinheim, Germany
Moore DS (2007) Sensing and Imaging: An International Journal 8(1):9
Committee on the Review of Existing and Potential Standoff Explosives Detection Techniques, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (2004) Existing and potential standoff explosives detection techniques. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C, p 92
Bruker-Optik-Gmbh (2003) JPEG-Group OPUS 4.2
Theriault GJ-M, Puckrin E, Hancock J, Lecavalier P, Lepage CJ, Jensen JO (2004) Appl Opt 43:5870
Hirschfeld T (1974) Applied Optics 13:1435
Sharma SK, Lucey PG, Ghosh M, Hubble HW, Horton KA (2003) Spectrochimica Acta Part A 59:2391
Misra AK, Sharma SK, Lucey PG (2006) Appl. Spectrosc 60:223
Carter JC, Angel SM, Lawrence-Snyder M, Scaffidi J, Whipple RE, Reynolds JG (2005) Appl. Spec. 59:769
Sedlacek AJ III, Ray MD, Higdon NS, Richter DA (2001) Proc. SPIE 4577:95
Gottfried JL, De Lucia Jr FC, Munson CA, Miziolek AW (2007) Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy 62:1405
Dubnikova F, Kosloff R, Almog J, Zeiri Y, Boese R, Itzhaky H, Alt A, Keinan E (2005) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127:1146
Buttigieg GA, Knight AK, Denson S, Pommier C, Denton MB (2003) Forensic Sci. Int. 135:53
Primera-Pedrozo OM, Soto-Feliciano YM, Pacheco-Londoño LC, Hernández-Rivera SP (2008) Sensing and Imaging: An International Journal 9(3–4):27
Perston BB, Hamilton ML, Williamson BE, Harland PW, Thomson MA, Melling PJ (2007) Anal. Chem 79:1231
Mocak J, Bond AM, Mitchell S, Scollary G (1997) Pure Appl Chem. 69:297
Derbyshire M, Lamberty A, Gardiner PHE (1999) Anal. Chem. 71:4203
Primera-Pedrozo OM, Pacheco-Londoño LC, De la Torre-Quintana LF, Hernandez-Rivera SP, Chamberlain RT, Lareau RT (2004) Proc. SPIE 5403:237
Primera-Pedrozo OM, Pacheco-Londoño L, Ruiz O, Ramírez M, Soto-Feliciano YM, De La Torre-Quintana LF, Hernández-Rivera SP (2005) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 5778:543
Pacheco-Londoño LC, Santiago A, Pujols J, Primera-Pedrozo OM, Mattei A, Ortiz W, Ruiz O, Ramírez M, Hernández-Rivera SP (2007) Proc. SPIE 6542:65423K
Manrique-Bastidas CA, Castillo-Chará J, Mina N, Castro ME, Hernández-Rivera SP (2004) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 5415:1345
Vrcelj RM, Gallagher HG, Sherwood JN (2001) J. Am. Chem. Soc 123:2291
Manrique-Bastidas CA, Primera-Pedrozo OM, Pacheco-Londoño LC, Hernández-Rivera SP (2004) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 5617:429
Hernandez-Rivera SP, Manrique-Bastidas CA, Blanco A, Primera OM, Pacheco LC, Castillo-Chara J, Castro ME, Mina N (2004) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 5415:474
Lin-Vien D, Colthup NB, Fateley WG, Grasselli JG (1991) The handbook of infrared and Raman characteristic frequencies of organic molecules. Academic, New York, NY
Clarkson J, Smith WE, Batchelder DN, Smith DA, Coats AM (2003) J Mol Struct 648:203
Ramos CM, Alzate LF, Hernández NM, Hernández SP, Mina N (2006) J Mol Struct: THEOCHEM 769:69
Torres P, Mercado L, Cotte I, Hernandez SP, Mina N, Santana A, Chamberlain RT, Lareau R, Castro ME (2004) J. Phys. Chem. B 108:8799
Infante-Castillo R, Hernández-Rivera SP (2006) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 6201:62012F
Infante-Castillo R, Hernández-Rivera SP (2007) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 6538:653825
Infante R (2008) Ph.D. Thesis, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, P.R.
Pacheco-Londono LC, Pena LC, Primera-Pedrozo OM, Hernandez-Rivera SP, Mina N, Garcia R, Chamberlain RT, Lareau RT (2004) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 5403:279
Pena AJ, Pacheco-Londono L, Figueroa J, Rivera-Montalvo LA, Roman-Velazquez FR, Hernandez-Rivera SP (2005) Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 5778:347
Jensen L, Mortensen PM, Trane R, Harris P, Berg RW (2009) Appl. Spectrosc 63(1):92
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, University Research Initiative Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (URI)-MURI Program, under grant number DAAD19-02-1-0257. The authors also acknowledge contributions from Aaron LaPointe of Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate, Department of Defense and Jennifer Becker from the Army Research Office. The project was also supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Award Number 2008-ST-061-ED0001. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pacheco-Londoño, L.C., Ortiz-Rivera, W., Primera-Pedrozo, O.M. et al. Vibrational spectroscopy standoff detection of explosives. Anal Bioanal Chem 395, 323–335 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-2954-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-2954-y