ISSN print edition: 0366-6352
ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075
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Spot test and quantitative analysis of NTO explosive by smartphone-based digital image colorimetry

Fahimeh Sotoudeh Pourhasan, Hamid Reza Pouretedal, Sajjad Damiri, and Hadi Roohani Ghehsareh

Faculty of Science, Malek-Ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr, Isfahan, I. R. of Iran

Received: 29 January 2024 Accepted: 5 July 2024

Abstract:

A reagent of phenol − hypochlorite was developed for the spot test and smartphone-based digital image colorimetric for the detection and determination of 3-nitro-1, 2, 4-triazole-5-one (NTO) explosive. The green color was produced in the presence of NTO and the proposed reagent. Different color spaces of red, green, and blue (RGB) or hue, saturation and value (HSV) of captured images have been extracted and processed by the written program in MATLAB. The B code color of RGB color space was altered with NTO concentration, and the related numerical data of B code color were utilized as an analytical signal to plot the calibration curve. Amine functional groups of NTO molecules take part in the reaction with phenol-hypochlorite reagent and create green color. The experimental conditions including the amounts of the used reagents were optimized by the method of one variable at a time. Limit of detection and dynamic range of the proposed method was obtained 3.1 and 6.0 − 150.0 mg⋅L⁻¹, respectively. The color of reagent in presence of NTO explosive was a specific color in spot test and colorimetric method in comparison to famous explosives including hexahydro-1, 3, 5-trinitro-1, 3, 5-triazine (RDX), tetra methylene tetra nitramine (HMX), trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4- dinitroanisole (DNAN), ammonium perchlorate (AP), ammonium nitrate (AN), and 1,2,4-triazol-3-one (TO) as the precursor of NTO. The accuracy and precision of the used procedure and written program were investigated by comparing them to UV–Vis spectrophotometric method and GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). Simple reactants beside the smartphone as an available device are the advantages of proposed method in determination of NTO explosive.

Keywords: Environmental Chemistry; NTO explosive; Spot test; Colorimetric method; Smartphone; Quantitative analysis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-024-03600-5

Chemical Papers 78 (12) 7201–7212 (2024)

Wednesday, November 27, 2024