Vapour phase detection of chemical warfare agents (2017-2022)
Abstract
This multidisciplinary project aims to create luminescent plastic optoelectronic materials that can detect airborne chemical warfare agents, and in particular nerve agents. Such agents are often odourless and invisible at lethal concentrations and therefore advanced technology solutions are required to detect and identify them prior to exposure. The intended project outcomes are design rules for new sensitive and selective sensing materials for chemical warfare agents that can be used in a handheld infield detector based on an understanding of the fundamental photophysical properties of the materials, and the creation of new analytical methods and sensing protocols.