Chemical trap

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in chemistry, a chemical trap is a chemical compound that is used to detect a certain molecule when

• the concentration of this molecule is very small and below detection limit
• the molecule is very reactive and it is not possible to isolate or detect it by spectroscopic means
• the molecule is an enantiomer present in a racemate.

With the reaction product of the chemical trap and the molecule in question it is possible to

• quantify the amount
• prove the existence of the molecule