Post-blast detection of traces of explosives by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Samples obtained from debris after explosions of about 30 g of energetic materials were analyzed by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using both, Globar and synchrotron infrared radiation at the ISMI beamline of the Singapore synchrotron light source (SSLS). Low- and high-strength-of-explosion blasts were performed during each test run with the same explosive material. From the spectroscopic measurements, traces of unreacted explosives were found on more than 200 different materials that served as sample catchers in the explosions.The integrality of the experiments done confirmed that FTIR spectroscopy is a sufficiently sensitive method to detect traces of explosives in post-blast residues even of high-strength explosions. The method requires only a minimal amount of sample and enables accurate and very fast identification of the presence of explosive material. Finally, the synchrotron radiation infrared source provided one order of magnitude higher sensitivity compared to the conventional Globar source.     

Hydrogen bond strength in chromates with kröhnkite-type chains, K2Me(CrO4)2·2H2O (Me = Mg, Co, Ni, Zn, Cd)

Infrared spectra of the title compounds with kröhnkite-type infinite octahedral–tetrahedral chains, K₂Me(CrO₄)₂·2H₂O (Me = Mg, Co, Ni, Zn, Cd), are presented in the regions of the uncoupled O–D stretching modes of matrix-isolated HDO molecules (isotopically dilute samples) and water librations. The strengths of the hydrogen bonds are discussed in terms of the respective O_wO bond distances, the Me–water interactions (synergetic effect), the proton acceptor capability of the chromate oxygen atoms as deduced from Brown's bond valence sum of the oxygen atoms. The spectroscopic experiments reveal that hydrogen bonds of medium strength are formed in the chromates. The hydrogen bond strengths decrease in the order Cd > Zn > Ni > Co in agreement with the decreasing covalency of the respective Me–OH₂ bonds in the same order, i.e. decreasing acidity of the water molecules. The infrared band positions corresponding to the water librations confirm the claim that the hydrogen bonds in K₂Cd(CrO₄)₂·2H₂O are stronger than those formed in K₂Mg(CrO₄)₂·2H₂O on one hand, and on the other—the hydrogen bonds in K₂Ni(CrO₄)₂·2H₂O are stronger than those in K₂Co(CrO₄)₂·2H₂O.     

Vibrational spectroscopic and thermal studies of some 3-phenylpropylamine complexes

Four new Hofmann–3-phenylpropylamine (3PPA) type complexes with chemical formulae M(3PPA)₂Ni(CN)₄ (M = Ni, Co, Cd, and Pd) have been prepared and their vibrational spectra are reported in the region of 4000–60 cm⁻¹. The vibrational bands arising from 3PPA ligand molecule, the polymeric sheet and metal–ligand bands of the compounds are assigned. The thermal behaviour of these complexes is also provided using the DTA and TGA along with the magnetic susceptibility data. The results indicate that the monodentate 3PPA ligand molecule bonds to the metal atom of |M–Ni(CN)₄|_∞ polymeric layers and hence the compounds are similar in structure to Hofmann-type complexes.     

Specific crystal structure of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) thin films studied by infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy

Infrared reflection–absorption (IR-RAS) and transmission spectra were measured for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) thin films to explore its specific crystal structure in the surface region. As IR-RAS is sensitive to the vibration mode of perpendicular orientation of the surface, differences between IR-RAS and transmission spectra indicate an orientation of the lamella structure in the surface of PHB thin films. The relative intensity of the crystalline CO stretching band in the IR-RAS spectrum is significantly weaker than that in the transmission spectrum. It may be concluded that the transient dipole moment of the CO stretching mode of the crystalline state is not oriented perpendicular but nearly parallel to the substrate surface. On the other hand, the relative intensity of the band at 3009 cm⁻¹ due to the C–H stretching mode of the C–HOC hydrogen bonding is similar between the IR-RAS and transmission spectra, suggesting that the C–H bond is oriented neither perpendicular nor parallel to the substrate surface but in an intermediate direction. Since the CO group of the C–HOC hydrogen bonding is oriented nearly parallel to the surface and its C–H group is in the intermediate direction, it is very likely that the C–HOC hydrogen bonding has a somewhat bent structure. These results are in good agreement with our previous conclusion that the C–HOC hydrogen bonding of PHB exists along the a-axis (not the b-axis) between the CH₃ group of one helix and the CO group of another helix.     

Hydrogen-bond structures in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate): Infrared spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations with model compounds

Hydrogen-bond structures in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) were investigated by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations (QCC). A monomer of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and model compounds of methyl acetate (MA) and methanol (MeOH) were also used. Evidences for OHOC and OHOH types of hydrogen-bonds were observed in an IR spectrum of a PHEMA solid. It was estimated from the present study that 47.3% of OH groups on the PHEMA side chain terminal are engaged in the OHOC type of hydrogen-bond, while the rest contributes to the OHOH type of hydrogen-bond.     

Ion-beam irradiation effects on polyimide-UV–vis and infrared spectroscopic study

Ion-beam irradiation effects on polyimide, Kapton™, were studied with respect to optical and electronic properties. Stack films of Kapton™ (12.5 μm thick) were irradiated to various ion beams in air or vacuo at room temperature and subjected to ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and change in absorbance and energy gap is discussed. The UV–vis absorption spectrum, which is assigned to the transition of electrons in benzene rings from π to π* orbital, upon He²⁺ (6 MeV/u) irradiation in air, shifted towards longer wavelength direction for all cases, and the shift was more obvious for higher linear energy transfer (LET) ion beams. The energy gap of the transition was estimated, and the H⁺ and He²⁺ ion beams caused little change in the transition energy gap Eg, while the heavier ions such as C⁶⁺ and Si¹⁴⁺ caused more significant decrease. This decrease is assumed to the structural changes around benzene rings, and the infrared spectroscopy revealed breakage in imide groups next to benzene ring in the repeating unit of polyimide.     

乳酸-3-苯甲基-2,5-吗啉二酮共聚物的合成及共聚物组分分析

以苯丙氨酸为原料合成3-苯甲基-2,5-吗啉二酮(PMD),以辛酸亚锡为催化剂,研究PMD与丙交酯(LA)开环共聚得到乳酸-3-苯甲基-2,5-吗啉二酮共聚物,用IR、1H-NMR、DSC对共聚物进行分析表征,表明可得到含有苯丙氨酸的聚乳酸共聚物.利用红外定量分析法替代1H-NMR法测定共聚物中PMD的组分含量,以1671.53cm-1和870.82cm-1两波数处特征峰的吸光度比值,作标准工作曲线Y=0.05567X+0.1091,r=0.9993.比较了催化剂浓度、反应时间、温度对共聚物组分含量、共聚物特性黏数[η]的影响.结果表明,低催化剂浓度条件下(0.025mol%与0.1mol%),产物特性黏数[η]随反应时间的延长先增加然后下降;而在高催化剂浓度(0.2mol%)的条件下,因主链中形成了更多更稳定的酰胺键,产物特性黏数[η]10h内维持不变;随PMD加入量的增多,进入共聚物中的PMD组分也相应地呈线性增加,但因PMD的开环活性低于丙交酯,所以苯丙氨酸引入聚乳酸链段中比较困难,但在低投料比条件下(<20mol%),升高反应温度有利于PMD含量的增加;同样也因为PMD在共聚物中组分含量的增多,苯环的稳定性使共聚物[η]受催化剂浓度及温度的影响逐渐减弱.     

Ultra-high-stability,pH-resistant sol–gel titania poly(tetrahydrofuran) coating for capillary microextraction on-line coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography

A sol–gel titania poly(tetrahydrofuran) (poly-THF) coating was developed for capillary microextraction hyphenated on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Poly-THF was covalently bonded to the sol–gel titania network which, in turn, became chemically anchored to the inner surface of a 0.25 mm I.D. fused silica capillary. For sample preconcentration, a 38-cm segment of the sol–gel titania poly-THF coated capillary was installed on an HPLC injection port as a sampling loop. Aqueous samples containing a variety of analytes were passed through the capillary and, during this process, the analytes were extracted by the sol–gel titania poly-THF coating on the inner surface of the capillary. Using isocratic and gradient elution with acetonitrile/water mobile phases, the extracted analytes were desorbed into the on-line coupled HPLC column for separation and UV detection. The sol–gel titania poly-THF coating was especially efficient in extracting polar analytes, such as underivatized phenols, alcohols, amines, and aromatic carboxylic acids. In addition, this coating was capable of extracting moderately polar and nonpolar analytes, such as ketones and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The sol–gel titania poly-THF coated capillary was also able to extract polypeptides at pH values near their respective isoelectric points. Extraction of these compounds can be important for environmental and biomedical applications. The observed extraction behavior can be attributed to the polar and nonpolar moieties in the poly-THF structure. This coating was found to be stable under extremely low and high pH conditions—even after 18 h of exposure to 1 M HCl (pH ≈0.0) and 1 M NaOH (pH ≈14.0).     

Surface modification and characterization of thermoplastic polyurethane

This work reports the modification of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) in order to enlarge their application range, for example, as biomaterials by increasing its hydrophilicity.A TPU was successfully modified by using three different strategies: ultra-violet irradiation (UV), gamma irradiation (GI) and interfacial modification (IM). The results suggested the possibility of modifying the polyurethane-based surface either with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) or hydroxylethyl methacrylate (HEMA) or hexamethylene diamine (HMD) or chitosan (CT) by using any of these methods. The properties of the grafted PU were evaluated by surface, structural and thermal analysis. The results suggest that, among the methods studied in this work, the modification by gamma irradiation (GI) seems to be the most promising, since this method gives high values of grafting yield and has the advantage of providing a clean modification, meaning that no initiator is needed.     

Pressure-induced coordination changes in LiBO2

The coordination and structure changes in LiBO₂ have been studied at high pressure and temperature up to 5 GPa and 1500 °C using in-situ high-pressure differential thermal analysis, infrared absorption spectra and X-ray diffraction. The layer framework structure of α-LiBO₂ is found to be compressed easily along the direction of c-axis, resulting in the formation of tetra-coordinated BO₄ units. The phase transition boundaries between α- and γ-LiBO₂ as well as between amorphous LiBO₂ hydrate and γ-LiBO₂ have negative pressure–temperature slopes. The conditions for transformation from α- to γ-LiBO₂ are lower than that necessary to transform amorphous LiBO₂ hydrate to γ-LiBO₂. Moreover, the melting curve of LiBO₂ has also been determined and has a positive pressure–temperature slope. Upon quenching from high pressure, LiBO₂ may not contain ^[3]B–O–^[3]B rings but contain more fraction of ^[4]B units with increasing pressure.