Acetone-Enhanced Negative Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Detection of Explosives

In this article, an acetone. enhanced negative photoionization (AENP) source based on a 10. 6 eV vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) lamp was developed and coupled to a home. made time. of. flight mass spectrometer for rapid detection of trace explosives. In the AENP source, acetone molecules absorbed 10. 6 eV photons and were ionized by single photon ionization to emit photoelectrons. The photoelectrons reacted with O-2, CO2, etc. in the atmosphere to produce mainly CO3- negative reactant ions. With this ionization source, common explosives, N-nitrobiz(2-hyolorolroxy ethyl)-amine dinitrate (DINA), Tetryl, trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), could be detected sensitively, and the limit of detection of 2 pg (TNT) with a linear range of 3 orders of magnitude was achieved. The simple structure, high sensitivity characteristics make the AENP source as a promising ionization source for mass spectrometry.