Accumulation of explosives in hair--Part 3: Binding site study

Melanins as Sustainable Resources for Advanced Biotechnological Applications

Melanins are a class of biopolymers that are widespread in nature and have diverse origins, chemical compositions, and functions. Their chemical, electrical, optical, and paramagnetic properties offer opportunities for applications in materials science, particularly for medical and technical uses. This review focuses on the application of analytical techniques to study melanins in multidisciplinary contexts with a view to their use as sustainable resources for advanced biotechnological applications, and how these may facilitate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Atomic force microscopy as a biophysical tool for nanoscale forensic investigations

The atomic force microscope (AFM) has found its way to the arsenal of tools available to the forensic practitioner for the analysis of samples at the nano and microscales. As a non-destructive probing tool that requires minimal sample preparation, the AFM is very attractive, particularly in the case of minimal or precious sample. To date, the use of the AFM has primarily been in the arena of imaging where it has been complementary to other microscopic examination tools. Forensic applications in the visual examination of evidence such as blood stains, questioned documents, and hair samples have been reported. While a number of reviews have focused on the use of AFM as an imaging tool for forensic analyses, here we not only discuss these works, but also point to a versatile enhancement in the capabilities of this nanoscale tool - namely its use for force spectroscopy. In this mode, the AFM can determine elastic moduli, adhesion forces, energy dissipation, and the interaction forces between cognate ligands, that can be spatially mapped to provide a unique spatial visualization of properties. Our goals in this review are to provide a context for this capability of the AFM, explain its workings, cover some exemplary works pertaining to forensic sciences, and present a critical analysis on the advantages and disadvantages of this modality. Equipped with this high-resolution tool, imaging and biophysical analysis by the AFM can provide a unique complement to other tools available to the researcher for the analysis and characterization of forensic evidence.

Analysis of triacetone triperoxide complexes with alkali metal ions by electrospray and extractive electrospray ionisation combined with ion mobility spectrometry and mass spectrometry

The complexation of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) with a range of alkali metals has been studied by electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry yield [M+Cat](+) ions for all of the alkali metals. The formation of [2TATP+Li+LiX](+) (X = Br, Cl) sandwich complexes was also observed. Collision cross- sections for the lithium-containing complexes of TATP were measured by travelling wave ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry, and compared well with computationally determined structures. Extractive electrospray ionisation (EESI) using a lithium doped electrospray is demonstrated for the detection of TATP vapours desorbed from a metal surface. The limit of detection for EESI was shown to be 20 ng using the [TATP+Li](+) ion.