MEPhI scientists have developed an ultra-sensitive technique for detecting trace amounts of explosives in the air. Its essence lies in the addition of impurities that stimulate ion formation to the composition of the gas sample.

According to the scientists of the Department of Physics of Micro and Nanosystems of the MEPhI, for the detection of low-volatile explosives in the gas phase at concentrations below 10-14 g/cm3, ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and its subspecies — ion mobility increment spectrometry (IMS) get an advantage. The technique makes it possible to ionize the molecules present in the air, classify them according to their mobility, and thus detect impurities of nitro compounds.

“In order to improve the sensitivity of the SIP and SPIS methods, we proposed to introduce into the composition of the gas sample impurities that stimulate ion formation (dopants). So far, dopants have been actively used for traditional ionization sources, however, the effect of laser radiation parameters on the formation of ions of various types of nitro compounds, including the use of dopants, has not been studied,” said Vitaly Kostarev, research engineer at the Department of Physics of Micro and Nanosystems of the MEPhI.

The results of the study were published in the Talanta journal.