Solvating gas chromatography with chemiluminescence detection of nitroglycerine and other explosives

A separation technique known as solvating gas chromatography (SGC), which utilizes packed capillary columns and neat carbon dioxide as mobile phase, was used for the separation of nitroglycerine (NG) and other nitrogen-containing explosives including 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), 2,4-dinitrotolulene (2,4-DNT), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (2,4,6-TNT), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). SGC was coupled for the first time to a selective chemiluminescence thermal energy analyzer (TEA) detector for nitro-functional group specificity and sensitive detection of these compounds. TEA calibration curve for NG showed linearity in the sub-μg ml−1 range. Soil samples containing NG were used to test the validity of the technique. Detector response of SGC–TEA versus SGC–flame ionization detection for NG was also evaluated.