<title>Pseudomolecular ion formation of explosives in FT-ICR-MS</title>

A useful and important addition to characterization of identification of plastic explosives, especially ultra-low levels, by these analytical methods would be the ability to obtain their molecular weight or a pseudomolecular mass. This is difficult or impossible to do using conventional techniques since these compounds have low vapor pressures and are thermally labile. Using Fourier Transform--Ion Cyclotron Resonance--Mass Spectrometry, we have obtained molecular mass or pseudo-molecular mass information on some common explosives, viz. RDX, PETN and TNT.