Xylitol pentanitrate - Its characterization and analysis

Kelly-Anne S Stark; Jason R Gascooke; Christopher T Gibson; Claire E Lenehan; Callum Bonnar; Mark Fitzgerald; K Paul Kirkbride

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110472

Xylitol pentanitrate - Its characterization and analysis

Forensic Sci Int. 2020 Nov:316:110472. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110472. Epub 2020 Aug 23.

Authors

Kelly-Anne S Stark¹, Jason R Gascooke¹, Christopher T Gibson², Claire E Lenehan¹, Callum Bonnar¹, Mark Fitzgerald³, K Paul Kirkbride⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, Australia.
² Flinders Microscopy and Microanalysis, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, Australia.
³ Weapons and Combat Systems Division, Defence Science and Technology Group, West Avenue, Edinburgh, South Australia, 5111, Australia.
⁴ College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, Australia. Electronic address: paul.kirkbride@flinders.edu.au.

PMID: 32919164
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110472

Abstract

Xylitol is a polyhydric alcohol that may be nitrated to form an explosive (xylitol pentanitrate or XPN). Consequently, forensic and first response personnel may encounter XPN in post-blast residues or as a bulk material. Despite this, key analytical data for XPN that may be used in first response or forensic operations to aid its detection are not yet available in the literature. The present article provides infrared spectrometry, Raman spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, chromatography and mass spectrometry data in order to address this knowledge gap.

Keywords: Analysis; Explosives; Gas chromatography; Infrared; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; NMR; Nitrate esters; Raman; Xylitolpentanitrate.