Characterization of the improvised explosive urea nitrate using electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization.

Mass spectra of urea nitrate were measured in electrospray ionization and in atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in the negative mode. In both ionization methods two characteristic adduct ions containing the intact molecule [urea nitrate+NO3]- and [urea nitrate+HNO3+NO3]- are shown. The structure of the two adduct ions was deduced using measurements of isotopically labeled urea nitrate. Collision-induced dissociation measurements of the adduct ions show typical losses enabling the identification of urea nitrate in trace amounts. Using these methods urea nitrate was identified in real cases. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.