In forensic analytical chemistry, chemical investigation of the
liquid/gas/solid evidences from the crime scene after the explosion (soil, water,
concrete/glass/ wood pieces, metal, clothes taken from suspects, etc.) and reliable
identification of explosive residues on such evidences remain an active area of research
due to increased demand for homeland security against terrorist and warfare threats, as
well as environmental monitoring. GC-MS, LC-MS, and LC-MS/MS offer distinct
advantages for laboratory analysis of explosives in post-blast samples, including soil/
water/plant matrices, etc. Time-of-Flight, Ion-Trap, and Orbitrap technologies provide
high resolution, better analyte identification, and accurate mass information at sub-ppm
levels. Direct analysis techniques, such as ambient MS has a wider range of
applications and offer high sensitivity/selectivity and direct analysis from the surface of
interest. Techniques like Direct Analysis In Real Time (DART) and Desorption
electrospray ionization (DESI), which can ionize substances directly on surfaces, offer
new opportunities for security screening of explosives. Orbitrap MS was also used
together with Raman microscopy for detailed molecular-level characterization of
explosives and the chemical analysis of latent fingerprints. Electro-flow focusing
ionization with in-source collision-induced dissociation can be used for MS detection
and chemical imaging for speciation of the signatures of explosive devices and to
detect proper spatial discrimination of explosive traces. Miniaturization to be used infield
analysis with low cost is a technique work on currently. Multi-analyte detection
with high selectivity/sensitivity to be able to use in as many different matrices and to be
able to analyze without or with a very short and simple sample preparation methods are
targeted for future analyses. Despite other reviews focussing on a certain group of
techniques, this chapter summarizes some important developments in the standard MS
techniques and ambient MS techniques used in laboratory, on-site, and miniaturized
mass spectrometric analysis of high energetic materials in the last two decades, mostly
conducted in the last decade.
Keywords: Ambient Mass Spectrometry, Confirmation, DART-MS, DESI-MS Imaging,
Determination, Energetic Materials, Explosive Analysis, GC-MS, Hyphenated
Techniques, Identification, Ion Trap, LCMS/MS, Mass Spectrometry (MS), Multi-
Analyte Screening, On-site detection, Quantitation Methods, Recent Technologies, ToFMS,
Terrorism, Triple Quadrupole, Validation.
