scholarly journals A Photoluminescence-Based Field Method for Detection of Traces of Explosives

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 725-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Roland Menzel ◽  
Laird W. Menzel ◽  
Jake R. Schwierking

We report a photoluminescence-based field method for detecting traces of explosives. In its standard version, the method utilizes a commercially available color spot test kit for treating explosive traces on filter paper after swabbing. The colored products are fluorescent under illumination with a laser that operates on three C-size flashlight batteries and delivers light at 532 nm. In the fluorescence detection mode, by visual inspection, the typical sensitivity gain is a factor of 100. The method is applicable to a wide variety of explosives. In its time-resolved version, intended forin situwork, explosives are tagged with europium complexes. Instrumentation-wise, the time-resolved detection, again visual, can be accomplished in facile fashion. The europium luminescence excitation utilizes a laser operating at 355 nm. We demonstrate the feasibility of CdSe quantum dot sensitization of europium luminescence for time-resolved purposes. This would allow the use of the above 532 nm laser.

Author(s):  
J. Allègre ◽  
P. Lefebvre ◽  
J. Camassel ◽  
B. Beaumont ◽  
Pierre Gibart

Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra have been recorded on three GaN epitaxial layers of thickness 2.5 μm, 7 μm and 16 μm, at various temperatures ranging from 8K to 300K. The layers were deposited by MOVPE on (0001) sapphire substrates with standard AlN buffer layers. To achieve good homogeneities, the growth was in-situ monitored by laser reflectometry. All GaN layers showed sharp excitonic peaks in cw PL and three excitonic contributions were seen by reflectivity. The recombination dynamics of excitons depends strongly upon the layer thickness. For the thinnest layer, exponential decays with τ ~ 35 ps have been measured for both XA and XB free excitons. For the thickest layer, the decay becomes biexponential with τ1 ~ 80 ps and τ2 ~ 250 ps. These values are preserved up to room temperature. By solving coupled rate equations in a four-level model, this evolution is interpreted in terms of the reduction of density of both shallow impurities and deep traps, versus layer thickness, roughly following a L−1 law.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luzia S. Germann ◽  
Sebastian T. Emmerling ◽  
Manuel Wilke ◽  
Robert E. Dinnebier ◽  
Mariarosa Moneghini ◽  
...  

Time-resolved mechanochemical cocrystallisation studies have so-far focused solely on neat and liquid-assisted grinding. Here, we report the monitoring of polymer-assisted grinding reactions using <i>in situ</i> X-ray powder diffraction, revealing that reaction rate is almost double compared to neat grinding and independent of the molecular weight and amount of used polymer additives.<br>


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Wu ◽  
Jeffrey Ting ◽  
Siqi Meng ◽  
Matthew Tirrell

We have directly observed the <i>in situ</i> self-assembly kinetics of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) micelles by synchrotron time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering, equipped with a stopped-flow device that provides millisecond temporal resolution. This work has elucidated one general kinetic pathway for the process of PEC micelle formation, which provides useful physical insights for increasing our fundamental understanding of complexation and self-assembly dynamics driven by electrostatic interactions that occur on ultrafast timescales.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2021-2025
Author(s):  
Liujin Wei ◽  
Guan Huang ◽  
Yajun Zhang

The combination of time-resolved transient photoluminescence with in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been conducted to investigate the intrinsic phase structure-dependent activity of Bi2O3 catalyst for CO2 reduction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailin Zhang ◽  
João Antonangelo ◽  
Chad Penn

AbstractPortable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer allows fast in-situ elemental determination without wet digestion for soils or geological materials, but the use of XRF on wet materials is not well documented. Our objective was to develop a rapid field method using pXRF to measure metals in the residues from horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operations so that proper disposal decisions can be made in-situ. To establish the procedure, we spiked soil samples with 4 concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb up to 1000 mg kg−1, and then the metal concentrations were determined by wet chemical method after drying and acid digestion (standard method), and by pXRF, also at laboratory conditions, after drying and at two different moisture conditions. The measurements by pXRF and standard method after drying and after removal of excess water (AREW) were highly correlated with slopes ranging from 0.83 ± 0.01 to 1.08 ± 0.01 (P < 0.001) for all metals. The relationship was better AREW than the saturated paste without removal of excess water and the moisture content affected only the accuracy of As, Cd, and Pb. The procedure established was successfully used for HDD residues collected from 26 states of US with moisture content ranging from 14 to 83% AREW. The pXRF was proven to be a reliable tool for fast detection of common metals in dried soils and HDD residues, and samples containing < 30% moisture content without needing to correct for moisture. If the moisture is > 30%, excess water in samples need to be removed with a commercially available filter press to achieve high accuracy. The developed procedures reduce time of metal detection from days to about an hour which allows drilling operators to make quick decisions on soil or HDD disposal.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document