Luminescence of organic compounds for the detection of nerve agents and its simulants

Chemical warfare agents represent a threat to army and civilians. Nerve agents are a deadly type of chemical agents. They inhib the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) and induce death by asphyxia. G-series agents such as sarin, tabun or soman can be used in vapor phase as in the Tokyo subway sarin attack. It is mandatory to be able to detect those compounds "on site". Unfortunately, precise detection usually requires complex and bulky detection devices, difficult to transport on field. On site detection is achieved using colorimetric paper as PDF1/M8 or photoelectric flame photometer as AP4C, that present drawbacks such as false positives or limited informations. Luminescence is a way to achieve selective, rapid and precise on site detection using portable spectrofluorometers. Organic chemistry can be used to provide luminescent molecules for detection of nerve agents and simulants. Thus, luminescence for detection of nerve agents gas and its simulants will be discussed. A scope of molecules combining a fluorophore moiety and a nerve agent sensor moiety has been studied. In a firt step the emission and excitation features of the molecules in liquid phase before and after exposition to different concentrations of diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP), a simulant of the nerve agent sarin will be presented. In a second step, to address a practical application, the sensor molecules were included in a solid substrate and their luminescence features before and after exposition to DCP in liquid and vapour phase will be presented.