Rapid Identification of Explosives Using Thin-Layer Chromatography and Colorimetric Techniques

• US 20110239745A1
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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, Satcher, Joe H. JR., Pagoria, Philip F.
• Application Number:
  US13/028,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20110239745A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.55
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/90 Plate chromatography, e.g. thin layer or paper chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/95 Detectors specially adapted therefor; Signal analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/22 Fuels, explosives liquid hydrocarbons G01N33/28

Abstract

A thin-layer chromatography method for identifying material present in a sample on a location including the steps of provide a thin-layer chromatography plate, wetting a swab is with a solvent providing a wetted swab, contacted the location of interest is with the wetted swab to obtain the sample providing a wetted swab with sample, placing the wetted swab with sample in the solvent to dissolve the sample and provide a solvent with sample, dipping a micropipette into the solvent with sample to obtain an amount of the solvent with sample, spotting the amount of the solvent with sample on the thin-layer chromatography plate, allowed the amount of the solvent with sample on the thin-layer chromatography plate to dry providing a thin-layer chromatography plate with sample, placing the a thin-layer chromatography plate with sample into a developing chamber with solvent mixture, allowing the thin-layer chromatography plate with sample to develop producing a developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample, removing the developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample from the developing chamber, and illuminating the developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample with ultra violet light to produce an image for identifying the material present in the sample.

Claims

1. A thin-layer chromatography kit for identifying material present in a sample, comprising:

a container containing a solvent;

a swab,

a pipette,

a thin-layer chromatography plate,

a developing chamber, and

a ultra violet light source.

2. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 wherein said developing chamber is a transparent or translucent developing chamber.

3. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 wherein said ultra violet light source is a portable battery powered ultra violet light source.

4. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 wherein said thin-layer chromatography plate is a thin-layer chromatography plate with two outside standard lanes and a center sample lane.

5. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 wherein said thin-layer chromatography plate is a thin-layer chromatography plate with at least one pre-spotted standard lane and at least one sample lane.

6. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 5 wherein said one pre-spotted standard lane contains a pre-spotted standard for explosives.

7. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 5 wherein said one pre-spotted standard lane contains a pre-spotted standard for TNT or Tetryl or picric acid or Exp D or RDX or F-IMX explosives.

8. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 5 wherein said one pre-spotted standard lane contains a pre-spotted standard for narcotics.

9. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 5 wherein said one pre-spotted standard lane contains a pre-spotted standard for Heroin or Morphine or Codeine or Demerol or Fentanyl or Hydrocodone or Hydromorphone or Methadone or Opium or Oxycodone or Percocet or Vicodin narcotics.

10. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 including a guide card adapted to be positioned over said thin-layer chromatography plate.

11. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 including a battery powered fan.

12. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 including a timer.

13. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 including a pair of tweezers.

14. The thin-layer chromatography kit of claim 1 wherein said container containing a solvent includes a cap.

16. The thin-layer chromatography plate of claim 14 wherein said pre-spotted standard is a said pre-spotted standard for explosives.

17. The thin-layer chromatography plate of claim 14 wherein said pre-spotted standard is a said pre-spotted standard for narcotics.

18. The thin-layer chromatography plate of claim 14 including a guide card adapted to be positioned over said thin-layer chromatography plate.

19. The thin-layer chromatography plate of claim 14 wherein said guide card adapted to be positioned over said thin-layer chromatography plate includes a guide for explosives.

20. The thin-layer chromatography plate of claim 14 wherein said guide card adapted to be positioned over said thin-layer chromatography plate includes a guide for narcotics.

22. The thin-layer chromatography method of claim 20 including the step of placing a marked registration guide card on said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample.

15. A thin-layer chromatography plate for identify material present in a sample, comprising:

a thin-layer chromatography plate,

a pre-spotted standard lane on said thin-layer chromatography plate,

a pre-spotted standard in said pre-spotted standard lane,

a sample lane on said thin-layer chromatography plate, and

a location for the sample in said sample lane.

21. A thin-layer chromatography method for identifying material present in a sample on a location, comprising the steps of:

providing a thin-layer chromatography plate,

wetting a swab is with a solvent providing a wetted swab,

contacting said location with said wetted swab to obtain the sample providing a wetted swab with sample,

placing said wetted swab with sample in said solvent to dissolve the sample and provide a solvent with sample,

dipping a micropipette into said solvent with sample to obtain an amount of said solvent with sample,

spotting said amount of said solvent with sample on said thin-layer chromatography plate,

allowing said amount of said solvent with sample on said thin-layer chromatography plate to dry providing a thin-layer chromatography plate with sample,

placing said a thin-layer chromatography plate with sample into a developing chamber with solvent mixture,

allowing said thin-layer chromatography plate with sample to develop producing a developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample,

removing said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample from said developing chamber, and

illuminating said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample with ultra violet light to produce an image for identifying the material present in the sample.

23. The thin-layer chromatography method of claim 21 wherein said step of illuminating said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample with ultra violet light to produce an image for identifying the material present in the sample includes matching said sample on said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample with said marked registration guide card.

25. The thin-layer chromatography method of claim 23 including the step of placing a marked registration guide card on said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample.

24. A method of using a thin-layer chromatography kit for identifying material present in a sample from a location wherein the kit includes a container containing a solvent, a swab, a pipette, a thin-layer chromatography plate, a developing chamber with solvent mixture, and an ultra violet light source, comprising the steps of:

wetting the swab is with solvent from the container providing a wetted swab,

contacting said location with said wetted swab to obtain the sample providing a wetted swab with sample,

placing said wetted swab with sample in the solvent to dissolve the sample and provide a solvent with sample,

dipping a micropipette into said solvent with sample to obtain an amount of said solvent with sample,

spotting said amount of said solvent with sample on the thin-layer chromatography plate,

allowing said amount of said solvent with sample on the thin-layer chromatography plate to dry providing a thin-layer chromatography plate with sample,

placing said thin-layer chromatography plate with sample into the developing chamber with solvent mixture,

allowing the thin-layer chromatography plate with sample to develop producing a developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample,

removing said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample from said developing chamber, and

illuminating said developed thin-layer chromatography plate with sample with the ultra violet light to produce an image for identifying the material present in the sample.