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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Chromogenic Detection of Nerve Agent Mimics by Mass Transport Control at the Surface of Bifunctionalized Silica Nanoparticles

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Chemical warfare (CW) agents are toxic chemicals that have been used in several terrorist attacks in recent years. Among CW species, nerve agents are probably the most dangerous; their high toxicity and facile synthesis underscores the need to detect these lethal compounds with quick, reliable procedures. Analytical methods based on enzymatic assays and physical measurements have generally been used to detect these hazards. However, these protocols usually have limitations such as low selectivity, poor portability, and a certain level of complexity. In recent years, several chromogenic and fluorogenic sensors, and reagents for the detection of nerve agents have been described. For instance, approaches that involve perborate-mediated oxidation of organophosphorus agents, fluorescent probes based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), assays that use oximate-containing derivatives, molecularly imprinted polymers, nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, porous silicon, displacement-like procedures, and cyclization reactions in push–pull chromophores have been reported. Most of these protocols rely on changes in fluorescence properties, whereas few examples deal with color modulations. Colorimetric detection is particularly appealing because it uses low-cost, widely available instrumentation and allows assays to be detected with the naked eye. However, the development of selective, sensitive chromogenic probes for the detection of deadly chemical species is still rare. Given our interest in the design of novel hybrid organic– inorganic materials as probes, we focused on the preparation of a new optical test for the detection of nerve agent mimics based on nerve agent control of mass transport to the surface of functionalized silica nanoparticles. The chromogenic approach (Scheme 1) involves the use of silica nanoparticles that are functionalized with two different subunits— thiol groups (SH) and aliphatic alcohols (OH). The role of the