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Coupling Paper-Based Microfluidics and Lab on a Chip Technologies for Confirmatory Analysis of Trinitro Aromatic Explosives

NCJ Number
304204
Journal
Analytical Chemistry Volume: 86 Issue: 10 Dated: 2014 Pages: 4707-4714
Date Published
2014
Length
8 pages
Annotation

In the current project, a new microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) in conjunction with confirmation by a lab on chip analysis was developed for detection of three trinitro aromatic explosives

Abstract

Potassium hydroxide was deposited on the μPADs (0.5 μL, 1.5 M), creating a color change reaction when explosives are present, with detection limits of approximately 7.5 ± 1.0 ng for TNB, 12.5 ± 2.0 ng for TNT and 15.0 ± 2.0 ng for tetryl. For confirmatory analysis, positive μPADs were sampled using a 5 mm hole-punch, followed by extraction of explosives from the punched chad in 30 s using 20 μL borate/SDS buffer. The extractions had efficiencies of 96.5 ± 1.7%. The extracted explosives were then analyzed with the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer lab on a chip device with minimum detectable amounts of 3.8 ± 0.1 ng for TNB, 7.0 ± 0.9 ng for TNT, and 4.7 ± 0.2 ng for tetryl. A simulated in-field scenario demonstrated the feasibility of coupling the μPAD technique with the lab on a chip device to detect and identify 1 μg of explosives distributed on a surface of 100 cm2. (publisher abstract modified)

Date Published: January 1, 2014