Chemical warfare agents (CWA) continue to present a threat to U.S. military personnel in operational areas all over the world. Reliable measurements of CWAs are critical to contamination detection, avoidance and remediation. The current deployed systems are accurate but are also large and expensive. Chemiresistors may indeed provide a solution to this operational requirement. Specifically, chemiresistive sensors using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) coupled with polythiophene polymer derivatives have been shown to have high sensitivity, endurance and have a simple fabrication process. To improve sensitivity and stability, we have endeavored to develop a SWCNT / poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) derivative sensor system. Additionally, we have shown that the inclusion of a hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) group as a receptor enhances sensitivity to a nerve agent mimic (dimethylmethylphosphonate, DMMP).

Carbon nanotube-polymer composites for chemical warfare agent sensing

251st National Meeting (2016)

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