Rapid, In-Situ Detection of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants and Hydrolysis Products in Bulk Soils by Low-Cost 3D-Printed Cone Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The Analyst ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary M. Brown ◽  
Trevor J. McDaniel ◽  
Karan R. Doppalapudi ◽  
Christopher C. Mulligan ◽  
Patrick Fedick
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Ionization Mass ◽  
Chemical Weapons Convention ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
In Situ Detection

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are toxic chemicals that have been used as disabling or lethal weapons in war, terrorist attacks, and assassinations. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) has prohibited the...

scholarly journals Acid is a potential interferent in fluorescent sensing of chemical warfare agent vapors

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengqiang Fan ◽  
Genevieve H. Dennison ◽  
Nicholas FitzGerald ◽  
Paul L. Burn ◽  
Ian R. Gentle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Standard Laboratory ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Fluorescent Sensing ◽  
Sensing Systems ◽  
Sensing Material ◽  
Fluorescence Change ◽  
Warfare Agents

AbstractA common feature of fluorescent sensing materials for detecting chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and simulants is the presence of nitrogen-based groups designed to nucleophilically displace a phosphorus atom substituent, with the reaction causing a measurable fluorescence change. However, such groups are also basic and so sensitive to acid. In this study we show it is critical to disentangle the response of a candidate sensing material to acid and CWA simulant. We report that pyridyl-containing sensing materials designed to react with a CWA gave a strong and rapid increase in fluorescence when exposed to Sarin, which is known to contain hydrofluoric acid. However, when tested against acid-free diethylchlorophosphate and di-iso-propylfluorophosphate, simulants typically used for evaluating novel G-series CWA sensors, there was no change in the fluorescence. In contrast, simulants that had been stored or tested under a standard laboratory conditions all led to strong changes in fluorescence, due to acid impurities. Thus the results provide strong evidence that care needs to be taken when interpreting the results of fluorescence-based solid-state sensing studies of G-series CWAs and their simulants. There are also implications for the application of these pyridyl-based fluorescence and other nucleophilic/basic sensing systems to real-world CWA detection.

scholarly journals Modified-TiO2 Photocatalyst Supported on β-SiC Foams for the Elimination of Gaseous Diethyl Sulfide as an Analog for Chemical Warfare Agent: Towards the Development of a Photoreactor Prototype

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 403
Author(s):  
Armelle Sengele ◽  
Didier Robert ◽  
Nicolas Keller ◽  
Valérie Keller
Keyword(s):  
Photocatalytic Oxidation ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Diethyl Sulfide ◽  
Tio2 Photocatalysts ◽  
Doped Tio2 ◽  
Model Molecule ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Oxidation Efficiency

In the context of the increase in chemical threat due to warfare agents, the development of efficient methods for destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) are of first importance both for civilian and military purposes. Amongst possible methods for destruction of CWAs, photocatalytic oxidation is an alternative one. The present paper reports on the preparation of Ta and Sn doped TiO2 photocatalysts immobilized on β-SiC foams for the elimination of diethyl sulfide (DES) used as a model molecule mimicking Yperite (Mustard Gas) in gaseous phase. Photo-oxidation efficiency of doped TiO2 catalyst has been compared with TiO2-P25. Here, we demonstrate that the Sn doped-TiO2 with a Polyethylene glycol (PEG)/TiO2 ratio of 7 exhibits the best initial activity (up to 90%) but is deactivates more quickly than Ta doped-TiO2 (40% after 800 min). The activity of the catalysts is strongly influenced by the adsorption properties of the support, as β-SiC foams adsorb DES and other sulfur compounds. This adsorption makes it possible to limit the poisoning of the catalysts and to maintain an acceptable conversion rate even after ten hours under continuous DES flow. Washing with NaOH completely regenerates the catalyst after a firs treatment and even seems to “wash” it by removing impurities initially present on the foams.

Effects of incorporating regioisomers and flexible rotors to direct aggregation induced emission to achieve stimuli-responsive luminogens, security inks and chemical warfare agent sensors

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (55) ◽  
pp. 7633-7636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laxmi Raman Adil ◽  
Parameswar Krishnan Iyer
Keyword(s):  
Photophysical Properties ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Simple Design ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Aggregation Induced Emission ◽  
Flexible Rotors ◽  
Warfare Agents

A simple design strategy to convert ACQ materials into bright AIE luminogens is demonstrated. Unique differences in photophysical properties were observed among them which gave rise to stimuli responsive behaviour and sensor for chemical warfare agents.

Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention: Mass Spectrometry of Alkyl Methylphosphonofluoridates

1994 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 2065 ◽  
Author(s):  
VT Borrett ◽  
RJ Mathews ◽  
ER Mattsson
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Data ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Chemical Weapons ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Industrial Sites ◽  
Chemical Weapons Convention ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Related Compounds

Under the provisions of the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), certain parts of chemical industry will be monitored to verify compliance with the Convention. This will include analysis of samples from industrial sites to check for the presence or absence of chemical warfare related compounds. One of the problems in screening the chemicals to be monitored under the CWC is that certain classes of chemical warfare agents are represented as families of chemicals, with many of the individual chemicals having no analytical data available. One example is the alkyl methylphosphonofluoridate family with an alkyl ester substituent from CH3 to C10H21. In this work, the mass spectra of 60 alkyl methylphosphonofluoridate family members have been studied to enable the development of rapid on-site screening methods for this family of chemicals.

Conventional analytical methods for chemical warfare agents

2002 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 2281-2291 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. H. Hill ◽  
S. J. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Ion Mobility ◽  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Chemical Weapons ◽  
Field Verification ◽  
Detection And Identification ◽  
Chemical Weapons Convention ◽  
Warfare Agents

Analytical methods that are currently used for the detection and identification of chemical warfare agents are reviewed and classified by the number of dimensions of information they provide. Single dimensional sensors target specific compounds or classes of compounds. Although they can be less expensive and more portable than multidimensional sensors, multidimensional sensors detect a broader threat spectrum with greater precision and accuracy. The recommendation for analytical field verification during inspections under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is to use simple two-dimensional analytical methods, such as gas chromatography (GC) or ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), for on-site screening of chemical weapons (CW) agents or to fully equip a modern, mobile analytical laboratory located in an airplane, which can be moved rapidly throughout the world to each inspection site and provide high-quality analytical data on-site.

The ionization process of chemical warfare agent simulants in low temperature plasma ionization

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 341-350
Author(s):  
Baoqiang Li ◽  
Jinglin Kong ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Wenxiang Fu ◽  
Zhongyao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Collision Induced Dissociation ◽  
Low Temperature Plasma ◽  
Temperature Plasma ◽  
Plasma Ionization ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Protonated Molecules

The application of low-temperature plasma ionization technology in the chemical warfare agent detection was mostly focused on the research of rapid detection methods. Limited studies are available on the ionization process of chemical warfare agents in low temperature plasma. Through the intensity of protonated molecules of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) in different solvents including methanol, deuterated methanol (methanol-D4), pure water, and deuterium oxide (water-D2), it was concluded that the water molecule in the air provides the hydrogen ion (H+) needed for ionization. The product ion spectra and the collision-induced dissociation processes of protonated molecules of nerve agent simulants, including DMMP, diethyl methanephosphonate (DEMP), trimethyl phosphate (TMP), triethyl phosphate (TEP), tripropyl phosphate (TPP), and tributyl phosphate (TBP) were analyzed. Results revealed that H+ mostly combined with phosphorus oxygen double bond (P = O) in the low-temperature plasma ionization. By analyzing the peak intensity distribution of product ions of protonated molecules, the presence of proton and charge migration in the low temperature plasma ionization and collision-induced dissociation were researched. This study could provide technical guidance for the rapid and accurate detection of chemical warfare agents through low temperature plasma ionization-mass spectrometry.

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