Thin-Layer Chromatography and Colorimetric Analysis of Multi-Component Explosive Mixtures

• US 20090221085A1
• Filed: 04/21/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Whipple, Richard E., Carman, M. Leslie, Pagoria, Philip F., Mitchell, Alexander R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,815,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/90 Plate chromatography, e.g. thin layer or paper chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/94 Development
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/22 Fuels; Explosives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation

Abstract

A thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples includes the steps of provide a reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography plate; prepare the plate by marking spots on which to deposit the samples by touching the plate with a marker; spot one micro liter of a first standard onto one of the spots, spot one micro liter of a second standard onto another of the spots, and spot samples onto other of spots producing a spotted plate; add eluent to a developing chamber; add the spotted plate to the developing chamber; remove the spotted plate from the developing chamber producing a developed plate; place the developed plate in an ultraviolet light box; add a visualization agent to a dip tank; dip the developed plate in the dip tank and remove the developed plate quickly; and detect explosives by viewing said developed plate.

Claims

1. A thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of explosives in samples, comprising the steps of:

provide a reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography plate, prepare said plate by marking spots on which to deposit the samples;

spot one micro liter of a first standard onto one of said spots, spot one micro liter of a second standard onto another of said spots, and spot samples onto other of said spots producing a spotted plate;

add eluent to a developing chamber;

add said spotted plate to said developing chamber;

remove said spotted plate from said developing chamber producing a developed plate;

place said developed plate in an ultraviolet light box;

add a visualization agent to a dip tank;

dip said developed plate in said dip tank and remove said developed plate; and

detect explosives by viewing said developed plate.

2. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of preparing said plate by marking spots on which to deposit the samples comprises touching the plate with a pencil to mark spots on which to deposit the samples.

3. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of spotting samples onto other of said spots producing a spotted plate comprises spotting one micro liter of one of said samples onto another of said spots and waiting for said one micro liter of one of said samples to dry before spotting another of said samples onto other of said spots.

4. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of adding eluent to a developing chamber comprises pipeting ten milliliter of toluene:

isopropanol into said developing chamber.

5. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of adding eluent to a developing chamber comprises pipeting ten milliliter of water:

methanol;

acetonitrile into said developing chamber.

6. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of add said spotted plate to said developing chamber includes allowing said spotted plate to develop for between fourteen minutes and thirty-five minutes.

7. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said developing chamber contains solvent and wherein said step of removing said spotted plate from said developing chamber producing a developed plate includes allowing said solvent to evaporate.

8. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said developing chamber contains solvent and wherein said step of removing said spotted plate from said developing chamber producing a developed plate includes allowing said solvent to evaporate for five minutes.

9. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of place said developed plate in an ultraviolet light box includes photographing said developed plate.

10. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of adding a visualization agent to a dip tank comprises adding fifty milliliters of two one hundreths of a percent diphenylbenzidine in ethanol to a dip tank.

11. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 1 wherein said step of detect explosives by viewing said developed plate includes photographing said developed plate.

12. A thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples, comprising the steps of:

provide a reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography plate;

prepare said plate by marking spots on which to deposit the samples by touching the plate with a marker;

spot one micro liter of a first standard onto one of said spots, spot one micro liter of a second standard onto another of said spots, and spot samples onto other of said spots producing a spotted plate;

add eluent to a developing chamber;

add said spotted plate to said developing chamber;

remove said spotted plate from said developing chamber producing a developed plate;

place said developed plate in an ultraviolet light box;

add a visualization agent to a dip tank dip said developed plate in said dip tank and remove said developed plate quickly; and

detect explosives by viewing said developed plate.

13. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of preparing said plate by marking spots on which to deposit the samples by touching the plate with a marker comprises touching the plate with a pencil.

14. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of spotting samples onto other of said spots producing a spotted plate comprises spotting one micro liter of one of said samples onto another of said spots and waiting for said one micro liter of one of said samples to dry before spotting another of said samples onto other of said spots.

15. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 14 wherein said step of spotting samples onto other of said spots producing a spotted plate comprises spotting one micro liter of one of said samples onto another of said spots and waiting for said one micro liter of one of said samples to dry before spotting another of said samples onto other of said spots and repeating said step of spotting one micro liter of one of said samples onto another of said spots and waiting for said one micro liter of one of said samples to dry before spotting another of said samples onto other of said spots.

16. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of adding eluent to a developing chamber comprises pipeting ten milliliter of toluene:

isopropanol into said developing chamber.

17. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of adding eluent to a developing chamber comprises pipeting ten milliliter of water:

methanol;

acetonitrile into said developing chamber.

18. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of add said spotted plate to said developing chamber includes allowing said spotted plate to develop for between fourteen minutes and thirty-five minutes.

19. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said developing chamber contains solvent and wherein said step of removing said spotted plate from said developing chamber producing a developed plate includes allowing said solvent to evaporate.

20. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said developing chamber contains solvent and wherein said step of removing said spotted plate from said developing chamber producing a developed plate includes allowing said solvent to evaporate for five minutes.

21. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of place said developed plate in an ultraviolet light box includes photographing said developed plate.

22. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of adding a visualization agent to a dip tank comprises adding fifty milliliters of two one hundreths of a percent diphenylbenzidine in ethanol to a dip tank.

23. The thin-layer chromatography method for detection and identification of common military and peroxide explosives in samples of claim 12 wherein said step of detect explosives by viewing said developed plate includes photographing said developed plate.