Detecting hydrolysis products of blister agents in water by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

摘要

Protecting the nation's drinking water from terrorism, requires microg/L detection of chemical agents and their hydrolysis products in less than 10 minutes. In an effort to aid military personnel and the public at large, we have been investigating the ability of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect microgram per liter (part-per-billion) concentrations of chemical agents in water. It is equally important to detect and distinguish the hydrolysis products of these agents to eliminate false-positive responses and evaluate the extent of an attack. Previously, we reported the SER spectra of GA, GB, VX and most of their hydrolysis products. Here we extend these studies to include the chemical agent sulfur-mustard, also known as HD, and its principle hydrolysis product thiodiglycol. We also report initial continuous measurements of thiodiglycol flowing through a SERS-active capillary.