“Application of Trichloroacetimidate-Mediated Benzylation to the Detection of Pinacolyl Methylphosphonic Acid in Standardised Proficiency Test Matrices”

A procedure for the qualitative analysis of pinacolyl methylphosphonic acid (PMPA), a degradation product from the nerve agent soman (GD), is presented. The protocol involves the derivatization of PMPA with benzyl trichloroacetimidate resulting in its benzylation under neutral conditions, a desirable attribute in the presence of other base-sensitive analytes. The method was found to perform well in the detection of this Schedule 2 chemical, spiked at low concentrations, in three different test matrices, two soils and one liquid, featured in different Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) proficiency tests.