Use of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection for complete separation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene metabolites and EPA Method 8330 explosives: influence of temperature and an ion-pair reagent

Explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX), and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) are widely distributed environmental contaminants. Complete chromatographic separation is necessary in order to accurately determine and quantify explosives and their degradation products in environmental samples and in (bio)transformation studies. The present study describes a RP-HPLC method with diode array detection using a LC-8 guard column, a Supelcosil LC-8 chromatographic column, and a gradient elution system. This gradient method is capable of baseline separating the most commonly observed explosives and TNT transformation metabolites including 2,4,6-triaminotoluene (TAT) in a single run. The TNT metabolites separated were 2-hydroxylamino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,4-dihydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene, 4,4',6,6'-tetranitro-2,2'-azoxytoluene, 2,2',6,6'-tetranitro-4,4'-azoxytoluene, 4,4',6,6'-tetranitro-2,2'-azotoluene, 2,2',6,6'-tetranitro-4,4'-azotoluene, 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-amino-2, 6-dinitrotoluene, 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene, and TAT. The same gradient method at a different column temperature can also be used to baseline separate the explosives targeted in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 8330 with approximately 22% reduction in total run time and 48% decrease in solvent consumption compared to previously published methods. Good separation was also obtained when all TNT metabolites and EPA Method 8330 compounds (a total of 23 compounds) were analyzed together; only 2,6-DANT and HMX co-eluted in this case. The influence of temperature (35-55 degrees C) and the use of an ion-pair reagent on the chromatographic resolution and retention were investigated. Temperature was identified as the key parameter for optimal baseline separation. Increased temperature resulted in shorter retention times and better peak resolution especially for the aminoaromatics investigated. The use of an ion-pair reagent (octanesulfonic acid) generally resulted in longer retention times for compounds containing amine functional groups, more baseline noise, and decreased peak resolution.     

Metabolic studies of explosives. 5. Detection and analysis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and its metabolites in urine of munition workers by micro liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Metabolites of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) were found in the urine of a group of TNT munition workers. The urine extracts were analysed by micro liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The metabolites found included 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene, 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene and untransformed TNT. The detection limit of the metabolites in urine was 0.1 ng/ml for 20 ml urine samples.     

Solid phase microextraction ion mobility spectrometer interface for explosive and taggant detection

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a rugged, inexpensive, sensitive, field portable technique for the detection of organic compounds. It is widely employed in ports of entry and by the military as a particle detector for explosives and drugs of abuse. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is an effective extraction technique that has been successfully employed in the field for the pre-concentration of a variety of compounds. Many organic high explosives do not have a high enough vapor pressure for effective vapor sampling. However, these explosives and their commercial explosive mixtures have characteristic volatile components detectable in their headspace. In addition, taggants are added to explosives to aid in detection through headspace sampling. SPME can easily extract these compounds from the headspace for IMS vapor detection. An interface that couples SPME to IMS was constructed and evaluated for the detection of the following detection taggants: 2-nitrotoluene (2-NT), 4-nitrotoluene (4-NT), and 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB). The interface was also evaluated for the following common explosives: smokeless powder (nitrocellulose, NC), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (2,4,6-TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine (RDX), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). This is the first peer reviewed report of a SPME-IMS system that is shown to extract volatile constituent chemicals and detection taggants in explosives from a headspace for subsequent detection in a simple, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive manner.     

Determination of nitroaromatic, nitramine, and nitrate ester explosives in soil by gas chromatography and an electron capture detector

Hazardous waste site characterization, forensic investigations, and land mine detection are scenarios where soils may be collected and analyzed for traces of nitroaromatic, nitramine, and nitrate ester explosives. These thermally labile analytes are traditionally determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); however, commercially available deactivated injection port liners and wide-bore capillary columns have made routine analysis by gas chromatography (GC) possible. The electron-withdrawing nitro group common to each of these explosives makes the electron capture detector (ECD) suitable for determination of low concentrations of explosives in soil, water, and air. GC-ECD and HPLC-UV concentration estimates of explosives residues in field-contaminated soils from hazardous waste sites were compared, and correlation (r>0.97) was excellent between the two methods of analysis for each of the compounds most frequently detected: 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 1,3-dinitrobenzene (1,3-DNB), 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB), and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX). The analytes were extracted from soils with acetonitrile by 18 h of sonication in a cooled ultrasonic bath. Two soil-to-solvent ratios were evaluated: 2.00 g:10.00 ml and 25.0 g:50.0 ml. GC-ECD method detection limits were similar for the two soil-to-solvent ratios and were about 1 mug kg(-1) for the di- and trinitroaromatics, about 10 mug kg(-1) for the mono-nitroaromatics, 3 mug kg(-1) for RDX, 25 mug kg(-1) for HMX, and between 10 and 40 mug kg(-1) for the nitrate esters (nitroglycerine [NG] and pentaerythritol tetranitrate [PETN]). Spike recovery studies revealed artifacts introduced by the spiking procedure. Recoveries were low in some soils if the amount of soil spiked was large (25.0 g) compared to the volume of spike solution added (1.00 ml). Recoveries were close to 100% when 2.00-g soil samples were spiked with 1.00 ml of solution. Analytes most frequently found in soils collected near buried land mines were the microbial transformation products of TNT (2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene [2-Am-DNT] and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene [4-Am-DNT]), manufacturing impurities of TNT (2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT, and 1,3-DNB), and TNT. The microbial reduction products of the isomers of DNT and of 1,3-DNB were also detected, but the ECD response to these compounds is poor.     

一种新的分离三硝基甲苯及其代谢产物的高效液相色谱方法

An HPLC method is described for separation of TNT and its main reduction metabolites. Two columns(LC-C(18) and LC-CN)are connected in series and operated isocratically at 1.0mL/min with water-methanol-tetrahydrofuran(60+ 35+ 5 ). The baseline separation of 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene(4A) and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene(2A) ,which are main metabolites of TNT,is obtained(Rs=2.1).     

Liquid chromatographic separation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and its principal reduction products

A liquid chromatographic method is described for the baseline separation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and its main reduction products. Two analytical columns (LC-18 and LC-CN) are connected in series and eluted isocratically at 1.5 ml min^?1 with water-methanol-tetrahydrofuran (60.5 + 25 + 14.5). The capacity factors (k′) are 1.4, 1.6, 5.1, 6.4 and 7.0 for 2,6-diamino-4-nitroluene, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene, TNT, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, respectively.     

Determination of common inorganic anions and cations by non-suppressed ion chromatography with column switching

An ion chromatography (IC) method has been proposed for the determination of seven common inorganic anions (F(-), H(2)PO(4)(-), NO(2)(-), Cl(-), Br(-), NO(3)(-), and SO(4)(2-)) and/or five common inorganic cations (Na(+), NH(4)(+), K(+), Mg(2+), and Ca(2+)) using a single pump, a single eluent and a single detector. The present system used cation-exchange and anion-exchange columns connected in series via a single 10-port switching valve. The 10-port valve was switched for the separation of either cations or anions in a single chromatographic run. When 1.0mM trimellitic acid (pH 2.94) was used as the eluent, the seven anions and the five cations could be separated on the anion-exchange column and the cation-exchange column, respectively. The elution order was found to be F(-)相似文献   

Rapid voltammetric determination of nitroaromatic explosives at electrochemically activated carbon-fibre electrodes

The electrochemical behaviour of some nitroaromatic explosives (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, TNT; 2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,6-DNT; 2-nitrotoluene, 2-NT; 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 2-A-4,6-DNT; 3,5-dinitroaniline, 3,5-DNA; and nitrobenzene, NB) at electrochemically activated carbon-fibre microelectrodes is reported. Electrochemical activation of such electrode material by repeated square-wave (SW) voltammetric scans between 0.0 and +2.6 V versus Ag/AgCl, produced a dramatic increase in the cathodic response from these compounds. This is attributed to the increase of the carbon-fibre surface area, because of its fracture, and the appearance of deep fissures along the main fibre axis into which the nitroaromatic compounds penetrate. Based on the important contribution of adsorption and/or thin layer electrolysis to the total voltammetric response, a SW voltammetric method for rapid detection of nitroaromatic explosives was developed. No interference was found from compounds such as hydrazine, phenolic compounds, carbamates, triazines or surfactants. The limits of detection obtained are approximately 0.03 g mL^–1 for all the nitroaromatic compounds tested. The method was applied for the determination of TNT in water and soil spiked samples; recoveries were higher than 95% in all cases.     

Applications of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in metabolic studies of explosives

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for the detection and identification of metabolites of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in urine and blood. The metabolites were found in the urine of rats and in the blood of rabbits fed with TNT, in the urine of rats exposed to TNT by skin absorption and in the urine of TNT munition workers. The detected metabolites, formed by reduction processes, included 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene and 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene, in addition to untransformed TNT.     

超声-气相联合扩散法快速合成ZIF-8用于硝基芳香化合物炸药的传感

三维微孔沸石咪唑基骨架(ZIF-8)纳米晶通过超声-气相联合扩散法快速合成.对该纳米晶进行荧光研究表明,纳米晶对硝基芳香化合物炸药具有良好的荧光淬灭能力.通过建立的Stern-Volmer方程,在1×10-4～8×10-4 mol/L范围内,每种炸药的浓度与纳米晶的荧光淬灭程度呈线性关系.对于2,4,6-三硝基苯酚(T...     

Trace analysis of explosives in soil: pressurized fluid extraction and gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Soil samples are collected from the former Open Burn/Open Detonation Unit, Makua Military Reservation, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The soil is the Helemano series. The soil samples are fortified with eight explosives for development of the analytical method. These analytes are 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene; 1,3-dinitrobenzene; 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT); hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX); nitrobenzene (NB); octogen; 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene; and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. The analytes are recovered with pressurized fluid extraction and measured with liquid chromatography (LC), LC-mass spectrometry (MS), and gas chromatography-MS. Average recoveries of the seven analytes, except for NB, range from 67% to 110% from freshly fortified samples. The procedure fails to extract NB in soil. The average recoveries decrease from 67-110% to 41-81% as the soil is aged for 1 day to 6 months after fortification of the soil with the seven explosives. The field samples are analyzed for the presence of explosives, of which DNT and RDX are indeed detected. The results obtained with this procedure agree well with those obtained by an independent laboratory following the standard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method SW-846 8330. Compared with the EPA method, this new method provides MS confirmation of the analytes, and the extraction requires approximately 15 min, rather than 18 h by the EPA method.     

Simultaneous determination of inorganic cations by capillary ion chromatography with a non-suppressed contactless conductivity detector

A non-suppressed capillary ion chromatographic method with a laboratory-made packed cation-exchange column (100 mm × 0.32 mm i.d.) was developed for the separation and simultaneous determination of five common inorganic cations (sodium, ammonium, potassium, magnesium and calcium). Cation exchangers were prepared by the reaction of the hydroxyl group on the surface of diol-group bonded silica gel with 1,3-propanesultone in methanol. Simultaneous separation of these five common inorganic cations were achieved within 17 min using 1 mM methanesulfonic acid and 0.1 mM 15-crown-5 ether in methanol-water (8:2, v/v) as the eluent. The effects of organic solvents and crown ethers in the eluent on the retention of analytes were investigated. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) of the cations were in the range of 18-124 μg/l, the linear correlation coefficients were 0.9991-0.9998, and the RSD values of retention time and peak height were all smaller than 2.1%. The present analytical method was successfully applied to the rapid and direct determination of inorganic cations in samples of river water and commercial drinks, with satisfactory results.     

Application of an external contactless conductivity detector for the analysis of beverages by microchip capillary electrophoresis

Quantitative total ionic analysis of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages was performed by microchip capillary electrophoresis with external contactless conductivity detection. An electrolyte solution consisting of 10.5 mM histidine, 50 mM acetic acid, and 2 mM 18-crown-6 at pH 4.1 was used for the determination of NH(4) (+), K(+), Ca(2+), Na(+), and Mg(2+). Fast analysis of Cl(-), NO(3) (-), and SO(4) (2-) was achieved in 20 mM 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid /histidine electrolyte solution at pH 6.0 and the simultaneous separation of up to 12 inorganic and organic anions was performed in a solution containing 10 mM His and 7 mM glutamic acid at pH 5.75. Limits of detection ranged from 90 to 250 mug/L for inorganic cations and anions, and from 200 to 2000 mug/L for organic anions and phosphate. Calibration curves showed linear dependencies over one to two orders of magnitude when the stacking effect was minimized by injecting standard solutions prepared in background electrolyte solutions. Total analysis times of 35 and 90 s were achieved for the determination of 5 inorganic cations and for the simultaneous determination of 12 inorganic and organic anions, respectively, which represents a considerable reduction of analysis time compared to conventional separation methods used in food analysis.     

Synthesis of 5,6-Dihydrophenanthridine (DHPA) Sulfonamides and Subsequent Acid-Catalyzed Rearrangement to Diaryl Sulfones

Selective method of reduction of the ortho-nitro groups in 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by hydrazine hydrate in the presence of FeCl₃ and charcoal has been elaborated. This method allows obtaining either 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene or 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene as well as 2,4,6-triaminotoluene from TNT.     

Coupled reversed-phase and ion chromatographic system for the simultaneous identification of inorganic and organic explosives

There are many methods available to detect and positively identify either organic or inorganic explosives separately, however no one method has been developed which can detect both types of explosive species simultaneously from a single sample. In this work, a unique coupled-chromatographic system is reported for the simultaneous determination of both organic and inorganic explosive species and is used for pre-blast analysis/identification purposes. This novel approach is based on the combination of reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and ion chromatography which allows trace levels of organic and inorganic explosives to be determined simultaneously from a single sample. Using this procedure, a 20 min reversed-phase separation of organic explosives is coupled to a 16 min ion-exchange separation of anions present in inorganic explosives, providing a complete pre-blast analysis/identification system for the separation and detection of a complex mixture containing organic and/or inorganic explosive species. The total analysis time, including sufficient column re-equilibration between runs, was <25 min using the coupled system. By this method, the minimum resolution for the organic separation was 1.16 between nitroglycerin and tetryl and the detection limits ranged from 0.31 mg L(-1) for cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (HMX) and 1.54 mg L(-1) for pentaerythrite tetranitrate (PETN), while the minimum resolution for the inorganic separation was 0.99 between azide and nitrate, and the detection limits ranged from 7.70 μg L(-1) for fluoride and 159.50 μg L(-1) for benzoate.     

Simultaneous ion-exclusion chromatography and cation-exchange chromatography of anions and cations in environmental water samples on a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin by elution with pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid

A non-suppressed conductivity detection ion chromatographic method using a weakly acidic cation-exchange column (Tosoh TSKgel OApak-A) was developed for the simultaneous separation and determination of common inorganic anions (Cl-, NO3- and SO4(2-)) and cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+). A satisfactory separation of these anions and cations on the weakly acidic cation-exchange column was achieved in 25 min by elution with a mixture of 1.6 mmol L-1 pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid and 8.0 mmol L-1 18-crown-6 at flow rate of 1.0 mL min-1. On this weakly acidic cation-exchange resin, anions were retained by an ion-exclusion mechanism and cations by a cation-exchange mechanism. The linear range of the peak area calibration curves for all analytes were up to two orders of magnitude. The detection limits calculated at S/N = 3 ranged from 0.25 to 1.9 mumol L-1 for anions and cations. The ion-exclusion chromatography-cation-exchange chromatography method developed in this work was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of major inorganic anions and cations in rainwater, tap water and snow water samples.     

Simultaneous determination of nitroglycerin and its dinitrate metabolites by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

A sensitive gas chromatographic-electron-capture detection method for the simultaneous determination of the antianginal drug nitroglycerin (GTN) and its dinitrate metabolites (1,2-GDN and 1,3-GDN) was developed. Human plasma samples (1 ml) spiked with 2,6-dinitrotoluene as the internal standard were extracted once with 10 ml of a methylene chloride-pentane mixture (3:7, v/v). Using this solvent system, less contaminants are extracted into the organic phase from plasma, resulting in cleaner chromatograms and prolonged column life. A break point was observed on the standard curves of GTN and GDNs. The two linear regions for the detectable concentrations of GTN are 0.025-0.3 and 0.3-3 ng/ml and for 1,2-GDN and 1,3-GDN they are 0.1-1 and 1-10 ng/ml. The limits of detection by this method for GTN, 1,2-GDN and 1,3-GDN in plasma are 0.025, 0.1 and 0.1 ng/ml, respectively.     

离子对色谱-间接紫外检测法分析哌啶离子液体阳离子

建立了快速分析无紫外光吸收的哌啶离子液体阳离子的离子对色谱-间接紫外检测法。采用反相C18色谱柱,以背景紫外吸收试剂-离子对试剂水溶液/有机溶剂为流动相分离哌啶离子液体阳离子。研究了背景紫外吸收试剂、检测波长、离子对试剂、有机溶剂、柱温、流速对分离测定哌啶阳离子的影响。最佳色谱条件为：以0.5 mmol/L对氨基苯酚盐酸盐-0.1 mmol/L庚烷磺酸钠水溶液/甲醇（80：20,v/v）为流动相,检测波长210 nm,柱温30 ℃,流速1.0 mL/min。在此条件下,3种哌啶阳离子可在4 min之内基线分离。所测阳离子的检出限（S/N=3）为0.137~0.545 mg/L,峰面积和保留时间的相对标准偏差（n=5）分别不高于0.72%和0.37%。将此方法用于分析实验室合成的哌啶类离子液体,加标回收率为97.0%~98.4%。本方法简便、快速,重现性、线性关系等均能满足哌啶类离子液体阳离子的定量分析要求。     

Analysis of explosives using electrospray ionization/ion mobility spectrometry (ESI/IMS)

The analysis of explosives with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) directly from aqueous solutions was shown for the first time using an electrospray ionization technique. The IMS was operated in the negative mode at 250°C and coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer to identify the observed IMS peaks. The IMS response characteristics of trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT), 4-nitrotoluene (4-NT), trinitrobenzene (TNB), cyclo-1,3,5-trimethylene-2,4,6-trinitramine (RDX), cyclo-tetramethylene-tetranitramine (HMX), dinitro-ethyleneglycol (EGDN) and nitroglycerine (NG) were investigated. Several breakdown products, predominantly NO₂⁻ and NO₃⁻, were observed in the low-mass region. Nevertheless, all compounds with the exception of NG produced at least one ion related to the intact molecule and could therefore be selectively detected. For RDX and HMX the [M+Cl⁻]⁻ cluster ion was the main peak and the signal intensities could be greatly enhanced by the addition of small amounts of sodium chloride to the sprayed solutions. The reduced mobility constants (K₀) were in good agreement with literature data obtained from experiments where the explosives were introduced into the IMS from the vapor phase. The detection limits were in the range of 15–190 μg l⁻¹ and all calibration curves showed good linearity. A mixture of TNT, RDX and HMX was used to demonstrate the high separation potential of the IMS system. Baseline separation of the three compounds was attained within a total analysis time of 6.4 s.     

Heterophase nitration of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-nitrotoluene with sulfuric-nitric acid mixtures of low nitrating activity in gas-containing emulsions

Heterophase nitration of o-nitrotoluene, in which an increase in the contribution of the reaction in the boundary adsorption monolayer under conditions of surface aeration leads to a higher yield of 2,4-dinitrotoluene and larger 2,4-/2,6-dinitrotoluene isomer ratio, was studied.