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 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