Laser desorption of explosives as a way to create an effective non-contact sampling device

Artem E. Akmalov; Alexander A. Chistyakov; Gennadii E. Kotkovskii

doi:10.1117/12.2190819

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21 October 2015 Laser desorption of explosives as a way to create an effective non-contact sampling device

Artem E. Akmalov, Alexander A. Chistyakov, Gennadii E. Kotkovskii

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Proceedings Volume 9652, Optics and Photonics for Counterterrorism, Crime Fighting, and Defence XI; and Optical Materials and Biomaterials in Security and Defence Systems Technology XII; 965206 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2190819
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2015, Toulouse, France

Abstract

Comparison of desorption effectiveness of Nd³⁺:YAG nanosecond laser sources (λ=266, 354, 532 nm) has been carried out to investigate a possibility of creating a non-contact sampling device for detectors of explosives based on principles of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS). The results of mass spectrometric study of laser desorption of nitroamine, nitrate ester and nitroaromatic compounds from a quartz substrate are presented. It is shown that irradiation of adsorbed layers of studied samples by a single pulse of non-resonant laser radiation (λ=532 nm) leads to efficient desorption at laser intensity 10⁷ W/cm² and above. Excitation of the first singlet state of nitro compounds by resonant radiation (λ=354 nm) provides heating of adsorbed layers and thermal desorption. A strongly non-equilibrium (non-thermal) dissociation process is developed when the second singlet state of nitroaromatic molecules is excited by radiation at λ=266 nm, along with thermal desorption. It is shown that Nd³⁺: YAG laser with wavelength λ=266 nm, pulse duration 5-10 ns, intensity 10⁷-10⁹ W/cm² is the most effective source for creation a non-contact sampling device based on desorption of explosives from surfaces.

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Artem E. Akmalov, Alexander A. Chistyakov, and Gennadii E. Kotkovskii "Laser desorption of explosives as a way to create an effective non-contact sampling device", Proc. SPIE 9652, Optics and Photonics for Counterterrorism, Crime Fighting, and Defence XI; and Optical Materials and Biomaterials in Security and Defence Systems Technology XII, 965206 (21 October 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2190819

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