Identification of Absorption Spectrum for IED Precursors Using Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Ana-Maria Bratu; Mioara Petrus; Cristina Popa

doi:10.3390/molecules28196908

Identification of Absorption Spectrum for IED Precursors Using Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Molecules. 2023 Oct 2;28(19):6908. doi: 10.3390/molecules28196908.

Authors

Ana-Maria Bratu¹, Mioara Petrus¹, Cristina Popa¹

Affiliation

¹ National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor St., P.O. Box MG-36, Magurele, 077125 Bucharest, Romania.

Abstract

Among the many commonly encountered hazards, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remain the primary threat to military and civilian personnel due to the ease of their production and the widespread availability of their raw materials and precursors. Identifying traces of potential precursors is the first step in developing appropriate control measures. An interesting approach is to identify the precursors that are released around the site as they are handled and transformed into the final IEDs. CO₂ laser photoacoustic spectroscopy can offer the spectral characterization of a number of explosives-related compounds without sample preparation. Benzene, toluene, acetone, and ethylene glycol absorption spectra were determined in the IR region between 9.2 and 10.8 µm. Each substance emitted a unique photoacoustic response corresponding to its chemical composition that could be further used to identify the explosive material.

Keywords: CO2 laser; explosives-related molecules identification; photoacoustic spectroscopy.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization under the Romanian National Nucleu Program LAPLAS VII—contract no. 30N/2023, and project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0717.