Laser Detection of Chemical Agents.

Abstract

The laser multiphoton ionization (MPI) technique has been used as a probe of molecules adsorbed on a quartz substrate. A detectability limit of less than 4 x 10th to the 13th power molecules of dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) corresponding to an exposure to a DMMP partial pressure of .0000001 Torr for 1 second has been demonstrated. Efforts to make time-of-flight MPI photoelectron spectroscopy a quantitative tool have proved unsuccessful because of poor energy resolution. Efforts to detect phosphonates through a combination of microcolum high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) in conjunction with laser fluorescene detection appear extremely promising. Using coumarin derivatization of the hydrolysis products of a number of common chemical warfare agents it has been possible to detect less than 1 picomole each of ethylmethylphosphonic acid, isopropylmethylphosphenic acid, and pinacoylmethylphosphonic acid. Originator-supplied keywords include: Chemical analysis, Phosphonates, Multiphoton ionization, Photoelectron spectroscopy, HPLC.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 12, 1984
Accession Number
ADA150093

Entities

People

  • R. N. Zare

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Analysis
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Chemistry
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Dye Lasers
  • Electrons
  • Fiber Optics
  • Ionization
  • Laser Beams
  • Laser-Based Detection
  • Lasers
  • Liquid Chromatography
  • Mass Spectra
  • Spectra
  • Spectroscopy

Readers

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene