THC in breath aerosols collected with an impaction filter device before and after legal-market product inhalation-a pilot study.

An accurate cannabis breathalyzer based on quantitation of the psychoactive cannabinoid Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could be an important tool for deterring impaired driving. Such a device does not exist. Simply translating what is known about alcohol breathalyzers is insufficient because ethanol is detected as a vapor.

The need for multicomponent gas standards for breath biomarker analysis.

Exhaled breath is a non-invasive, information-rich matrix with the potential to diagnose or monitor disease, including infectious disease. Despite significant effort dedicated to biomarker identification in case control studies, very few breath tests are established in practice. In this topical review, we identify how gas standards support breath analysis today and what is needed to support further expansion and translation to practice.

Rapid Vapor-Collection Method for Vapor Pressure Measurements of Low-Volatility Compounds.

Dynamic vapor microextraction (DVME) is a new method that enables rapid vapor pressure measurements on large molecules with state-of-the-art measurement uncertainty for vapor pressures near 1 Pa. Four key features of DVME that allow for the rapid collection of vapor samples under thermodynamic conditions are (1) the use of a miniature vapor-equilibration vessel (the "saturator") to minimize the temperature gradients and internal volume, (2) the use of a capillary vapor trap to minimize the internal volume, (3) the use of helium carrier gas to minimize nonideal mixture behavior, and (4) the direct measurement of pressure inside the saturator to accurately account for overpressure caused by viscous flow. The performance of DVME was validated with vapor pressure measurements of -eicosane (CH) at temperatures from 344 to 374 K.

Application of the Advanced Distillation Curve Method to the Comparison of Diesel Fuel Oxygenates: 2,5,7,10-Tetraoxaundecane (TOU), 2,4,7,9-Tetraoxadecane (TOD), and Ethanol/Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) Mixtures.

Although they are amongst the most efficient engine types, compression-ignition engines have difficulties achieving acceptable particulate emission and NO formation. Indeed, catalytic after-treatment of diesel exhaust has become common and current efforts to reformulate diesel fuels have concentrated on the incorporation of oxygenates into the fuel. One of the best ways to characterize changes to a fuel upon the addition of oxygenates is to examine the volatility of the fuel mixture.

Determination of Cannabinoid Vapor Pressures to Aid in Vapor Phase Detection of Intoxication.

The quest for a reliable means to detect cannabis intoxication with a breathalyzer is ongoing. To design such a device, it is important to understand the fundamental thermodynamics of the compounds of interest. The vapor pressures of two important cannabinoids, cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC), are presented, as well as the predicted normal boiling temperature (NBT) and the predicted critical constants (these predictions are dependent on the vapor pressure data).

Comprehensive Assessment of Composition and Thermochemical Variability by High Resolution GC/QToF-MS and the Advanced Distillation-Curve Method as a Basis of Comparison for Reference Fuel Development.

Commercial and military aviation is faced with challenges that include high fuel costs, undesirable emissions, and supply chain insecurity that result from the reliance on petroleum-based feedstocks. The development of alternative gas turbine fuels from renewable resources will likely be part of addressing these issues. The United States has established a target for one billion gallons of renewable fuels to enter the supply chain by 2018.

Composition of the C+ Fraction of Natural Gas by Multiple Porous Layer Open Tubular Capillaries Maintained at Low Temperatures.

As the sources of natural gas become more diverse, the trace constituents of the C+ fraction are of increasing interest. Analysis of fuel gas (including natural gas) for compounds with more than 6 carbon atoms (the C+ fraction) has historically been complex and expensive. Hence, this is a procedure that is used most often in troubleshooting rather than for day-to-day operations.

Analysis of arson fire debris by low temperature dynamic headspace adsorption porous layer open tubular columns.

In this paper we present results of the application of PLOT-cryoadsorption (PLOT-cryo) to the analysis of ignitable liquids in fire debris. We tested ignitable liquids, broadly divided into fuels and solvents (although the majority of the results presented here were obtained with gasoline and diesel fuel) on three substrates: Douglas fir, oak plywood and Nylon carpet. We determined that PLOT-cryo allows the analyst to distinguish all of the ignitable liquids tested by use of a very rapid sampling protocol, and performs better (more recovered components, higher efficiency, lower elution solvent volumes) than a conventional purge and trap method.

Prediction and preliminary standardization of fire debris constituents with the advanced distillation curve method.

The recent National Academy of Sciences report on forensic sciences states that the study of fire patterns and debris in arson fires is in need of additional work and eventual standardization. We discuss a recently introduced method that can provide predicted evaporation patterns for ignitable liquids as a function of temperature. The method is a complex fluid analysis protocol, the advanced distillation curve approach, featuring a composition explicit data channel for each distillate fraction (for qualitative, quantitative, and trace analysis), low uncertainty temperature measurements that are thermodynamic state points that can be modeled with an equation of state, consistency with a century of historical data, and an assessment of the energy content of each distillate fraction.

Detecting gravesoil with headspace analysis with adsorption on short porous layer open tubular (PLOT) columns.

Victims of crimes are often buried in clandestine graves. There are several techniques for finding buried bodies or the scattered remains of a victim; however, none of these methods are very reliable or work in all scenarios. One way to detect gravesoil is to detect the biochemical changes of the surrounding soil due to cadaver decomposition, for example, the release of nitrogenous compounds.

Trace headspace sampling for quantitative analysis of explosives with cryoadsorption on short alumina porous layer open tubular columns.

Quantitative headspace (HS) measurements have been performed on the practical industrial and military plastic bonded explosives (PBX) tagged-C-4, Semtex-1A, Semtex-H, detonating cord (detcord), and sheet explosive (Detaflex). The measurements were made by a modified purge and trap technique developed in our laboratory on the basis of cryoadsorption on short alumina-coated porous layer open tubular (PLOT) columns. Trace compounds (of both high and low volatility) were identified and quantitated as a function of HS collection temperature.

Complex fluid analysis with the advanced distillation curve approach.

An improved method for measuring distillation curves reveals the physicochemical properties of complex fluids such as fuels.

The composition-explicit distillation curve technique: Relating chemical analysis and physical properties of complex fluids.

The analysis of complex fluids such as crude oils, fuels, vegetable oils and mixed waste streams poses significant challenges arising primarily from the multiplicity of components, the different properties of the components (polarity, polarizability, etc.) and matrix properties. We have recently introduced an analytical strategy that simplifies many of these analyses, and provides the added potential of linking compositional information with physical property information.

Mapping formation pathways and end group patterns of stimuli-responsive polymer systems via high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

"Smart" polymers and polymer-protein conjugates find a vast array of biomedical applications. Ambient temperature reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerizations conducted in an aqueous environment are a favorable method of choice for the synthesis of these materials; however, information regarding the initiation mechanisms behind these polymerizations-and thus the critical polymer end groups-is lacking. In the current study, high-resolution soft ionization mass spectrometry techniques were used to map the product species generated during ambient temperature gamma-radiation induced RAFT polymerizations of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and acrylic acid (AA) in aqueous media, allowing the generated end groups to be unambiguously established.

Kinetic chain lengths in highly cross-linked networks formed by the photoinitiated polymerization of divinyl monomers: a gel permeation chromatography investigation.

Highly cross-linked networks formed by the photoinitiated polymerization of multifunctional monomers are finding application in the field of biomaterials because of their chemical versatility, reaction control, and ability to polymerize under physiological conditions. Typically, degradation is introduced into these networks via the cross-links and leads to the release of nondegradable but water-soluble kinetic chains formed during the chain polymerization process. In this study, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to characterize kinetic chain length distributions in highly cross-linked systems that are being developed for orthopedic applications.