Abstract :
Several systems are presented for detection of nerve gases, Sarin and Soman, based on catalyzed decomposition of nerve gases by copper ion-ligand chelates and potentiometric detection of the byproduct, fluoride ion. Diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) was used as the nerve gas mimic. It was found that 1:1 Cu(II)-DMBP (4,4´-dimethyl-2,2´-bipyridyl) and 1:2 Cu(II)-TMEDA (N,N,N´N´-tetramethylethylenediamine) chelates were the most effective catalysts for accelerating the decomposition of DFP. With a response time of about 5min and a potential drop of 30-50mV, the detection limit for DFP is 2×10-6M. This method is sensitive, selective, and reproducible.
