U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Funding & Awards
 IDENTIFICATION OF LOW EXPLOSIVES AND THEIR POST-BLAST RESIDUES VIA GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (GC) COUPLED WITH VACUUM ULTRAVIOLET (VUV) SPECTROSCOPY
Award Information
Awardee
              TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Award #
              2018-R2-CX-0015
Funding Category
              Competitive Discretionary
Location
                    INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Congressional District
              7
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2018
Total funding (to date)
              $150,000
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY18 Graduate Research Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2018, $150,000)
Analytical methods that are proposed for use in forensic science laboratories must possess three key attributes: sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity. These characteristics relate to the extent of an instruments response (sensitivity), the ability of the instrument to respond to analytes in mixtures (selectivity) and the ability to unambiguously identify the analyte (specificity). Given these requirements, one of the gold standard analytical techniques for the forensic analysis of low explosives has been gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). However, there are many explosives that yield similar or identical mass spectra, often with no molecular ion. A recent development with the potential to dramatically change this situation is a benchtop vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) detector for GC (GC/VUV). The data provided by GC/VUV is sensitive, selective, and has the potential to be more specific than mass spectrometry for several explosives. For example, in preliminary experiments we have demonstrated that GC/VUV can acquire highly complex and specific spectra of nitrate ester explosives such as EGDN, NG and PETN. Beyond this, however, there are no published accounts of using GC/VUV to analyze explosives such as black powder, smokeless powder, and black powder substitutes (either intact or as their post-blast residues). Therefore, the purpose of this proposal is to characterize various explosives in the VUV, understand the source of fine structure in the VUV, and design methods for GC/VUV for the most commonly encountered low explosives as well as realistic post-blast samples. We will achieve these goals in four stages: 1) assess the effects of photoionization on the VUV Spectra of explosives, 2) establish a set of optimized GC/VUV methods for intact explosives and their post-blast residues, 3) assess the specificity of VUV spectra for explosive structural isomers using chemometric methods, and 4) use GC/VUV to analyze a set of realistic forensic samples. "Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law," and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR  200.210(a)(14). ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Optimization of gas chromatography/vacuum ultraviolet (GC/VUV) spectroscopy for explosive compounds and application to post-blast debris
                  A systematic study of the absorbance of the nitro functional group in the vacuum UV region
                  A critical comparison of vacuum UV (VUV) spectrometer and electron ionization single quadrupole mass spectrometer detectors for the analysis of alkylbenzenes in gasoline by gas chromatography: Experimental and statistical aspects
                  Thermal and spectroscopic analysis of nitrated compounds and their break-down products using gas chromatography/vacuum UV spectroscopy (GC/VUV)
                  Generating Highly Specific Spectra and Identifying Thermal Decomposition Products via Gas Chromatography / Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (GC/VUV): Application to Nitrate Ester Explosives

  
Date Created: September 20, 2018
    
          Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              Current Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Forthcoming Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Expired Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
    
      
            
            
            
      Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
    
      
            
            
            
      Fellowship & Student Programs
    
      
            
            
            
      Travel Scholarships
    
      
            
            
            
      NIJ Challenge ProgramSimilar Awards
        
                      A longitudinal cohort mixed methods study of the impact of mental health on retention and turnover among early career police officers in South Carolina
                  Meeting National Safety Council Recommendations: Accurate Rapid Tests and Laboratory Confirmation Procedures for Fentanyl and Prevalent Opioids in Oral Fluid
                  Strengthening Scientific Foundations for Advancing Best Practices in the Collection, Storage, Analysis, and Interpretation of Organic and Inorganic Gunshot Residues
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov