Fluorescence detection of chemical warfare agents

Because of the extreme toxicity, chemical warfare agents including nerve agents (e.g., sarin and VX) and blistering agents (e.g., mustard gas) cause issues of the national and environmental security once dispersed. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop simple, rapid, portable, highly sensitive and selective detection technologies for chemical warfare agents. In this paper, fluorescence detection of nerve agents and mustard gas developed in recent years is reviewed; challenges and perspectives facing the design of more effective fluorescence sensors for chemical warfare agents, particularly for VX, are discussed.