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Communication

Chem. Commun., 2007, 2142 - 2144, DOI: 10.1039/b703655h

Detection of explosives on skin using ambient ionization mass spectrometry

Dina R. Justes, Nari Talaty, Ismael Cotte-Rodriguez and R. Graham Cooks

Single nanogram amounts of the explosives TNT, RDX, HMX, PETN and their mixtures were detected and identified in a few seconds on the surface of human skin without any sample preparation by desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) using a spray solution of methanol–water doped with sodium chloride to form the chloride adducts with RDX, HMX, and PETN while TNT was examined as the radical anion and tandem mass spectrometry was used to confirm the identifications.

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