Generalization Across Acetone Peroxide Homemade Explosives by Detection Dogs

Effective explosives detection requires dogs to generalize their response to untrained variations of targets that are related to those with which they were trained. Previous research suggests that dogs tend to be highly specific to their trained odors, and are sensitive to alterations in odor profiles. Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is an increasingly popular homemade explosive due to the widespread accessibility of starting materials. The large variety of reagent sources and production approaches yields high variability in deployed formulations. Whether dogs trained with pure forms of TATP generalize to other variations is unknown, representing a potentially significant security gap. In the current study, we tested dogs (n = 11) previously trained to detect pure TATP with four variants: diacetone diperoxide (DADP), a homologue often created as a TATP byproduct, and three different clandestine TATP formulations designed to emulate those used by terrorists or insurgents. On average, dogs detected each untrained variant at rates equivalent to the trained TATP (ps > 0.07), with individual variability in first-trial alerts for some of the variants. Chemical analyses paralleled the canine results, showing distinct similarities and differences. For the TATP samples, the laboratory-grade was the purest sample tested and did not contain DADP or the TATP homologue that the three clandestine versions showed in their respective headspace profiles. The headspace results showed that each sample could be clearly identified as TATP, yet they showed recognizable differences due to their individual syntheses. These findings suggest that training on pure TATP may be effective for generalization to untrained variants. Further research is necessary to identify factors that influence individual variation in generalization between dogs, as well as other explosives.

Comparison of Oxidative Powers of DADP and TATP - A DFT Treatise

Diacetone diperoxide (DADP) and triacetone triperoxide (TATP) are very sensitive organic-peroxide type explosives which are easily synthesized. The present density functional treatment considers oxidative powers of DADP and TATP molecules based on comparison of their interactions with certain group II-metals at the level of B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p). Composite systems of DADP and TATP with Be, Mg and Ca have been considered. Although, in the case of beryllium composites, DADP and TATP and in the magnesium composite of DADP the organic component remains intact, Ca composites of DADP and TATP undergo ring rapture. Certain structural, electronic, quantum chemical and some spectral properties of the composites have been obtained and discussed.

Charged Forms of Diacetone Diperoxide - DFT Treatment

Diacetone diperoxide (DADP) is one of the sensitive and powerful organic peroxide explosives like its trimeric analogue TATP. Presently, some ionic forms of it have been investigated within the limitations of density functional theory at the level of UB3LYP/6-311++G(d,p). Various properties (including structural, electronic, spectral and quantum chemical) have been obtained and discussed. The studied mono and dianions having different multiplicity states have been found to be stable but monocation form decomposed.

In-situ identification of TATP and DADP particles collected with transparent tapes by Raman spectroscopy and imaging

Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and its byproduct diacetone diperoxide (DADP) are commonly used home-made high explosives in bombing cases and terrorist attacks. However, these two peroxide explosives are unstable and prone...

Towards the fluorogenic detection of peroxide explosives through host–guest chemistry

Two dansyl-modified β-cyclodextrin derivatives ( 1 and 2 ) have been synthesized as host–guest sensory systems for the direct fluorescent detection of the peroxide explosives diacetone diperoxide (DADP) and triacetone triperoxide (TATP) in aqueous media. The sensing is based on the displacement of the dansyl moiety from the cavity of the cyclodextrin by the peroxide guest resulting in a decrease of the intensity of the fluorescence of the dye. Both systems showed similar fluorescent responses and were more sensitive towards TATP than DADP.