Optical detection of sulfur mustard contaminated surfaces based on a sprayable fluorescent probe

Abstract

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) pose an inevitable threat, both to soldiers and civilians. There have been many incidents where CWAs have claimed thousands of lives and contaminated many more people. In this regard, strict control and proper decontamination are equally important. Here, we present a visualization method to locate sulfur mustard (HD)-contaminated surfaces using a water-based sprayable polymer containing a sulfur mustard fluorescent probe (DPXT). After confirming the high sensitivity (0.9 μM) and selectivity of DPXT in aqueous solution toward sulfur mustard, a sprayable material was developed by immobilizing the DPXT in a water-soluble polymer. This method enables the localization of HD-contaminated areas through a fluorescence response detectible by the naked eye. Sprayable HD sensors present obvious advantages over other sensors since they do not necessitate damage to the surface of interest. In our perception, this sensing protocol also holds great potential in sensing and localizing other CWAs, and will be a powerful tool for monitoring decontamination processes.