阅读说明：本技术 使用正掺杂剂用于物质检测的系统和方法 (System and method for substance detection using positive dopants ) 是由 弗拉迪米尔·罗曼诺夫 尤多·H·韦尔柯克 汉·莱 斯蒂芬·卢科维 于 2018-06-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及用于检测感兴趣物质的方法和系统。方法和系统包括使掺杂剂前体改性以释放掺杂剂,和使掺杂剂与所述感兴趣物质接触。系统和方法还包括执行感兴趣物质的分析和检测所述感兴趣物质。(The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for detecting a substance of interest. Methods and systems include modifying a dopant precursor to release a dopant, and contacting the dopant with the substance of interest. The system and method further include performing an analysis of the substance of interest and detecting the substance of interest.)

1. A method for detecting a substance of interest, the method comprising:

introducing a substance of interest into a device of a trace detection system;

heating a dopant precursor to release a dopant, wherein the dopant precursor comprises at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide;

introducing the dopant into a device of the trace detection system, wherein the dopant contacts the substance of interest;

performing an analysis of the substance of interest; and

detecting the substance of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the dopant precursor comprises heating the dopant precursor to a temperature of about 20 ℃ to about 150 ℃.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the dopant precursor comprises heating the dopant precursor to release the dopant at a discharge rate of about 0.1 μ g/min to about 100 μ g/min.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the dopant into the device of the trace detection system comprises introducing the dopant into at least one of a detector, a desorber, a transmission line, a sample well, and an ionization region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the substance of interest comprises detecting the substance of interest at an ambient temperature range of about-10 ℃ to about 65 ℃.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substance of interest comprises at least one of: explosives, energetic materials, explosives tracers, narcotics, toxins, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents, pollutants, pesticides, toxic industrial chemicals, toxic industrial materials, homemade explosives, pharmaceutical trace contaminants, biomarkers for medical applications, chemical markers for medical applications, biomarkers for clinical hygiene applications, chemical markers for clinical hygiene applications, precursors thereof, by-products thereof, metabolites thereof, and combinations thereof.

7. A method for detecting a substance of interest, the method comprising:

introducing a substance of interest into a device of a trace detection system;

catalytically decomposing a dopant precursor to release a dopant, wherein the dopant precursor comprises at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide;

introducing the dopant into a device of the trace detection system, wherein the dopant contacts the substance of interest;

performing an analysis of the substance of interest; and

detecting the substance of interest.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein introducing the dopant into the device of the trace detection system comprises introducing the dopant into at least one of a detector, a desorber, a transmission line, a sample well, and an ionization region.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein catalytically decomposing the dopant precursor comprises decomposing the dopant precursor to release the dopant at an emission rate of about 0.1 μ g/min to about 100 μ g/min.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein catalytically decomposing the dopant precursor comprises decomposing the dopant precursor using at least one of a metal, a metal oxide, an enzyme, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the substance of interest comprises detecting the substance of interest at an ambient temperature range of about-10 ℃ to about 65 ℃.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the substance of interest comprises at least one of: explosives, energetic materials, explosives tracers, narcotics, toxins, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents, pollutants, pesticides, toxic industrial chemicals, toxic industrial materials, homemade explosives, pharmaceutical trace contaminants, biomarkers for medical applications, chemical markers for medical applications, biomarkers for clinical hygiene applications, chemical markers for clinical hygiene applications, precursors thereof, by-products thereof, metabolites thereof, and combinations thereof.

13. A system for detecting a substance of interest, the system comprising:

an inlet configured to receive a substance of interest;

a dopant precursor, wherein the dopant precursor comprises at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide;

a modifier configured to modify the dopant precursor to release dopant; and

an analysis device coupled in flow communication with the inlet, wherein the analysis device is configured to perform an analysis of the substance of interest.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the modifier is configured to modify the dopant precursor to release the dopant at a discharge rate of about 0.1 μ g/min to about 100 μ g/min.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the modifier configured to modify the dopant precursor comprises at least one of a heater configured to heat the dopant precursor and a catalyst configured to decompose the dopant precursor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the heater is configured to heat the dopant precursor to a temperature of about 20 ℃ to about 150 ℃.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one of a metal, a metal oxide, an enzyme, and combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the analysis device is configured to detect the substance of interest at an ambient temperature range of about-10 ℃ to about 65 ℃.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the substance of interest comprises at least one of: explosives, energetic materials, explosives tracers, narcotics, toxins, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents, pollutants, pesticides, toxic industrial chemicals, toxic industrial materials, homemade explosives, pharmaceutical trace contaminants, biomarkers for medical applications, chemical markers for medical applications, biomarkers for clinical hygiene applications, chemical markers for clinical hygiene applications, precursors thereof, by-products thereof, metabolites thereof, and combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the analysis device comprises at least one of: ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS), reverse ion mobility spectrometer (idms), Drift Spectrometer (DS), respiratory ion mobility spectrometer (rhms), non-linear drift spectrometer (nlft), Field Ion Spectrometer (FIS), radio frequency Ion Mobility Incremental Spectrometer (IMIS), Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometer (FAIMS), ultra high field FAIMS, differential separation mobility spectrometer (DIMS), Differential Mobility Spectrometer (DMS), drift spectrometer, non-linear drift spectrometer, Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometer (TIMS), traveling wave ion mobility spectrometer, semiconductor gas sensor, raman spectrometer, laser diode detector, Mass Spectrometer (MS), Gas Chromatography (GC), electron trap detector, photoionization detector, chemiluminescence-based detector, electrochemical sensor, infrared spectrometer, lab-on-a-chip detector, and combinations thereof.

Technical Field

Embodiments described herein relate generally to detection techniques for chemical species, and more particularly, to the generation of ammonia dopants using various dopant precursors. More specifically, the methods and systems include modifying a dopant precursor to release ammonia as a dopant for contact with a substance of interest. The systems and methods also include performing an analysis of the substance of interest to detect and/or determine the substance of interest.

Background

Dopants may be used to increase the sensitivity and/or selectivity of detection of certain substances of interest (e.g., explosives and narcotics). In some cases, it may be desirable to generate dopants from dopant precursors. However, some dopant precursors may have highly variable (and thus less controllable) discharge rates of the respective dopants over a temperature operating range. That is, variations in temperature may significantly alter the rate of emission of dopant from the dopant precursor. Releasing excess dopant adversely affects the detection of the substance of interest.

Accordingly, there is a need for a detection system and method that utilizes a dopant precursor that releases dopant at a generally constant and well controlled dopant discharge rate. The present disclosure achieves these benefits while increasing the range of operating temperatures and eliminating or reducing the possibility of adversely affecting the detection of the species of interest due to the presence of excess dopant.

Disclosure of Invention

The present specification discloses a method for detecting a substance of interest. The method includes introducing a substance of interest into a device of the trace detection system, and heating a dopant precursor to release the dopant, wherein the dopant precursor includes at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide. The method further includes introducing a dopant into the apparatus of the trace detection system, wherein the dopant contacts the substance of interest, and performing an analysis of the substance of interest. The method further comprises detecting the substance of interest.

The present specification also discloses a method for detecting a substance of interest. The method includes introducing a substance of interest into a device of the trace detection system, and catalytically decomposing a dopant precursor to release the dopant, wherein the dopant precursor includes at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide. The method further includes introducing a dopant into the apparatus of the trace detection system, wherein the dopant contacts the substance of interest, and performing an analysis of the substance of interest. The method further comprises detecting the substance of interest.

The present specification also discloses a system for detecting a substance of interest. The system includes an inlet configured to receive a substance of interest and a dopant precursor, wherein the dopant precursor includes at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide. The system also includes a modifier configured to modify the dopant precursor to release the dopant. The system also includes an analysis device coupled in flow communication with the inlet, wherein the analysis device is configured to perform an analysis of the substance of interest.

The present specification also discloses a method for detecting a substance of interest, the method comprising: introducing a substance of interest into a device of a trace detection system; heating a dopant precursor to release the dopant, wherein the dopant precursor comprises at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide; introducing a dopant into a device of a trace detection system, wherein the dopant contacts a substance of interest; performing an analysis of the substance of interest; and detecting the substance of interest.

Optionally, heating the dopant precursor comprises heating the dopant precursor to a temperature of about 20 ℃ to about 150 ℃.

Optionally, heating the dopant precursor includes heating the dopant precursor to release the dopant at a discharge rate of about 0.1 μ g/min to about 100 μ g/min.

Optionally, introducing the dopant into the device of the trace detection system comprises introducing the dopant into at least one of a detector, a desorber, a transmission line, a sampling well, and an ionization region.

Optionally, detecting the substance of interest includes detecting the substance of interest at an ambient temperature range of about-10 ℃ to about 65 ℃.

Optionally, the substance of interest comprises at least one of: explosives, energetic materials, explosives tracers, narcotics, toxins, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents, pollutants, pesticides, toxic industrial chemicals, toxic industrial materials, homemade explosives, pharmaceutical trace contaminants, biomarkers for medical applications, chemical markers for medical applications, biomarkers for clinical hygiene applications, chemical markers for clinical hygiene applications, precursors thereof, by-products thereof, metabolites thereof, and combinations thereof.

The present specification also discloses a method for detecting a substance of interest, the method comprising: introducing a substance of interest into a device of a trace detection system; catalytically decomposing a dopant precursor to release the dopant, wherein the dopant precursor comprises at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide; introducing a dopant into a device of a trace detection system, wherein the dopant contacts a substance of interest; performing an analysis of the substance of interest; and detecting the substance of interest.

Optionally, introducing the dopant into the device of the trace detection system comprises introducing the dopant into at least one of a detector, a desorber, a transmission line, a sampling well, and an ionization region.

Optionally, catalytically decomposing the dopant precursor comprises decomposing the dopant precursor to release the dopant at an emission rate of about 0.1 μ g/min to about 100 μ g/min.

Optionally, catalytically decomposing the dopant precursor comprises decomposing the dopant precursor using at least one of a metal, a metal oxide, an enzyme, and combinations thereof.

Optionally, detecting the substance of interest includes detecting the substance of interest at an ambient temperature range of about-10 ℃ to about 65 ℃.

Optionally, the substance of interest comprises at least one of: explosives, energetic materials, explosives tracers, narcotics, toxins, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents, pollutants, pesticides, toxic industrial chemicals, toxic industrial materials, homemade explosives, pharmaceutical trace contaminants, biomarkers for medical applications, chemical markers for medical applications, biomarkers for clinical hygiene applications, chemical markers for clinical hygiene applications, precursors thereof, by-products thereof, metabolites thereof, and combinations thereof.

The present specification also discloses a system for detecting a substance of interest, the system comprising: an inlet configured to receive a substance of interest; a dopant precursor, wherein the dopant precursor comprises at least one of urea, an organic ammonium salt, a guanidine inorganic salt, ammonium polyphosphate, and a substituted amide; a modifier configured to modify a dopant precursor to release a dopant; and an analysis device coupled in flow communication with the inlet, wherein the analysis device is configured to perform an analysis of the substance of interest.

Optionally, the modifier is configured to modify the dopant precursor to release the dopant at a discharge rate of about 0.1 μ g/min to about 100 μ g/min.

Optionally, the modifier configured to modify the dopant precursor comprises at least one of a heater configured to heat the dopant precursor and a catalyst configured to decompose the dopant precursor.

Optionally, the heater is configured to heat the dopant precursor to a temperature of about 20 ℃ to about 150 ℃.

Optionally, the catalyst comprises at least one of a metal, a metal oxide, an enzyme, and combinations thereof.

Optionally, the analysis device is configured to detect the substance of interest at an ambient temperature range of about-10 ℃ to about 65 ℃.

Optionally, the substance of interest comprises at least one of: explosives, energetic materials, explosives tracers, narcotics, toxins, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents, pollutants, pesticides, toxic industrial chemicals, toxic industrial materials, homemade explosives, pharmaceutical trace contaminants, biomarkers for medical applications, chemical markers for medical applications, biomarkers for clinical hygiene applications, chemical markers for clinical hygiene applications, precursors thereof, by-products thereof, metabolites thereof, and combinations thereof.

Optionally, the analysis means comprises at least one of: ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS), reverse ion mobility spectrometer (idms), Drift Spectrometer (DS), respiratory ion mobility spectrometer (rhms), non-linear drift spectrometer (nlft), Field Ion Spectrometer (FIS), radio frequency Ion Mobility Incremental Spectrometer (IMIS), Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometer (FAIMS), ultra high field FAIMS, differential separation mobility spectrometer (DIMS), Differential Mobility Spectrometer (DMS), drift spectrometer, non-linear drift spectrometer, Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometer (TIMS), traveling wave ion mobility spectrometer, semiconductor gas sensor, raman spectrometer, laser diode detector, Mass Spectrometer (MS), Gas Chromatography (GC), electron trap detector, photoionization detector, chemiluminescence-based detector, electrochemical sensor, infrared spectrometer, lab-on-a-chip detector, and combinations thereof.

The foregoing and other embodiments of the present specification are described in more detail in the drawings and detailed description provided below.