ISIS signature bombs are unstable, easy to make, says chemist
A substance known as TATP, used in this week's Brussels attacks, has become the Islamic State's signature explosive. Chemist Jimmie Oxley says TATP bombs are volatile and easy to assemble - an attractive option to suicide bombers.
The co-ordinated bombings at two locations in Brussels, March 22, took the perpetrators only about an hour to carry out.
It's been reported that the attackers used an explosive known as triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, a peroxide-based chemical that's quickly become the Islamic State's calling card in Europe.
Jimmie Oxley is a leading expert on TATP and teaches chemistry at the University of Rhode Island. Oxley says the TATP bombs are easy to assemble, to customize and detonate, which makes them an attractive option to suicide bombers.
This segment was produced by The Current's Vanessa Greco.