Issue 9, 2012

Qualitative determination of inorganic anions in incendiary device residues by capillary electrophoresis

Abstract

The determination of the inorganic anions present in residues from improvised incendiary devices (IIDs) is of interest to the police to obtain information about the type of device employed, and to determine its composition. The Chemical Ignition Molotov Cocktail (CIMC) is an IID of increasing use. In this paper, an analytical procedure for sample treatment and qualitative analysis by CE is applied to determine the anionic composition of CIMC residues. First, a comparison of two CE methods for the separation of three target anions present in CIMCs (sulfate, chlorate, and chloride) was made by considering chromate- and pyromellitic acid (PMA)-based buffers. After the analysis of CIMC samples prepared in the laboratory under controlled conditions (Lab-CIMC samples) perchlorate was found to be a novel target anion useful for the identification of CIMCs. This result allowed recommendation of the PMA-based buffer to police forces for the separation of target anions in CIMC samples, even if chloride and sulfate may be partially overlapped under these conditions. Finally, the analytical procedure was applied to the analysis of real CIMC residues and soil samples. Chlorate and perchlorate are the target anions making possible the identification of CIMC since the other studied anions may have originated from other sources.

Graphical abstract: Qualitative determination of inorganic anions in incendiary device residues by capillary electrophoresis

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Apr 2012
Accepted
10 Jul 2012
First published
10 Jul 2012

Anal. Methods, 2012,4, 2680-2686

Qualitative determination of inorganic anions in incendiary device residues by capillary electrophoresis

C. Martín-Alberca, J. Sáiz, J. L. Ferrando and C. García-Ruiz, Anal. Methods, 2012, 4, 2680 DOI: 10.1039/C2AY25628B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements