New Tools for Measurement of Personal Exposure to Chemical Environments
Abstract
The primary objective of this research was to demonstrate principles based on the orientational behavior of liquid crystals at chemically functionalized surfaces for passive sensing of targeted toxic gases, including chemical warfare agents. Included in this research was the systematic study of the competitive interactions of thermotropic liquid crystals and P-, N- and S-containing compounds with surfaces presenting metal carboxylates. Emphasis was directed to developing principles that lead to highly sensitive and selective ordering transitions in liquid crystals upon exposure of the liquid crystals to targeted chemical agents. ARO support enabled development of a fundamental understanding of metal ion-ligand coordination interactions between liquid crystals possessing nitrile groups and surfaces presenting divalent and trivalent carboxylate complexes. This development relied heavily on the use of infrared spectroscopy and led to the design of chemically tailored surfaces that trigger ordering transitions in liquid crystals upon exposure to parts-per-billion concentrations of dimethylmethylphosphonate and half mustard. Recent experiments performed at DSTL have also demonstrated that these principles can be extended to selectively report VX, GB, GD and GA.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA458976
Entities
People
- Nicholas L Abbott
Organizations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison