Talanta 2012-01-15

Chemiluminescence detection of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX) and related nitramine explosives.

David N Donaldson, Neil W Barnett, Kent M Agg, Duncan Graham, Claire E Lenehan, Chad Prior, Kieran F Lim, Paul S Francis

Index: Talanta 88 , 743-8, (2012)

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Abstract

A simple controlled chemical reduction of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX) and related nitramine compounds with zinc amalgam generates species that elicit intense chemiluminescence with tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III), which extends this widely utilised chemiluminescence reagent to a new class of analyte and presents a sound chemical basis for a screening test for nitramine high explosives. Examination of the chemiluminescence profiles under stopped-flow conditions revealed contributions from multiple transient species formed in the initial reduction step.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.