Understanding Chemical Sensitivity and Surface Response in Detecting Trace Levels of Explosives Using Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy

Abstract

Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) can be used to detect trace quantities of high explosives (HEs) adsorbed on surfaces. As a trace detection method, VSFS has the advantages of being non-contact and non-destructive with sub-second detection times. Therefore, a HE-detection method for detecting IEDs or portal defense that was based on VSFS could provide stand-off trace detecting for IEDs and increase the throughput of package screening (in terms of objects scanned per minute) for portal defense. Furthermore, because VSFS does not degrade contaminants on surfaces, a positive detection result leaves any explosives detected in place for subsequent forensic analysis such as fingerprint identification. This research has shown that that VSFS provides high chemically selectivity for nitro-containing HEs in the presence of environmental chemical contamination.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 04, 2013
Accession Number
ADA602310

Entities

People

  • William E. Asher

Organizations

  • University of Washington

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aluminum Alloys
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Composite Materials
  • Detection
  • Explosive Devices
  • Explosives
  • Fluoropolymers
  • High Explosives
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Science
  • Military Operations
  • Optical Materials
  • Picric Acid
  • Polymer Matrix Composites
  • Spectra

Readers

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Medical Imaging.