Explosives identification is a valuable tool in forensic chemistry. The exact composition of an explosive device can greatly assist in determining starting materials, method of synthesis and possible origin of the explosive. While there are very rapid methods of determining if an explosive is present, these often have trouble identifying the actual compound. The scanners at airports can give false positives for fertilizers and some cured meats because of the presence of a nitro group. In this lab you will use liquid chromatography to separate a mixture of explosives to identify retention times of each compound and then take a piece of debris from an explosion and identify the explosive used. In addition, record an FTIR spectrum of the residue for additional confirmation of its identity.

Objectives:

1. Become familiar with using LC
2. Understand the chemistry of explosives
3. Practice changing an LC method for optimization
4. Review error and confidence levels

Report: Explain what you did to get your answer and how confident you are in that answer. Would you stand up in court and swear that it is right? What are some drawbacks to this method and some other approaches that could be taken?