POLYMER-BASED LANTHANIDE LUMINESCENT SENSORS FOR THE DETECTION OF NERVE AGENTS

Several devices are being constructed to measure and detect the nerve agents Sarin and Soman. The devices function by selectively binding th e phosphonate hydrolysis products to a luminescent functionality-impri nted copolymer. The copolymers possess a securely bound luminescent la nthanide ion, such as Eu3+, in a coordination complex that has been te mplated for the chemical functionality resulting from the hydrolysis o f Sarin and Soman but has had a weakly bound anion substituted by mass action. The instrumental support for the device is being designed to monitor the change that occurs in the luminescence spectrum of the lan thanide when the analyte is coordinated. The ligand field shifted lumi nescence of the lanthanide is excited by a compact laser and monitored via optical fiber by either a filter photometer or a monochromator. M iniaturization will be applied to each of the lab bench components to produce a field portable device that will potentially be comparable in size to a pH meter. Initial results using an Ar ion laser excitation source providing 0.3 mW at 465.7 nm yield a limit of detection of 125 ppt. The chemical and spectroscopic selectivity of this device are bei ng combined to reduce the likelihood of false positive analyses.