Real-time vapor detection of nitroaromatic explosives by catalytic thermal dissociation blue diode laser cavity ring-down spectroscopy

A compact blue diode laser catalytic thermal dissociation cavity ring-down spectrometer (cTD–CRDS) to detect vapors of nitroaromatic explosives is described. The instrument uses heated platinum(IV) oxide catalyst to convert nitroaromatic compounds to NO2, which is detected at 405 nm. Using the relatively volatile nitrobenzene as a test compound, we show by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in off-line experiments that nitroaromatics can be quantitatively converted to NO2. The cTD–CRDS detection limit was 0.3 parts-per-billion by volume (ppbv) and sufficiently low to allow the detection of a room temperature sample of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) without sample preconcentration.