Infrared spectroscopy for chemical agent detection using tailored hypersorbent materials

摘要

We report long-wave infrared (LWIR, 5-15 μm) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR, 2.5 - 5 μm) differential absorption spectra of different nerve agent simulants and common solutes sorbed to poly(methyldi(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-trifluoromethyl-2-hydroxypent-4-enyl)silane, HCSFA2, an NRL developed hypersorbent polymer. HCSFA2 is a strong hydrogen-bond acidic polymer which exhibits large gas-polymer partitions for a variety of hazardous chemicals with hydrogen-bond basic properties such as the phosphonate ester G-nerve agents or their simulants. The measured ATR-FTIR differential absorption spectra show complex fingerprint signal changes in the resonances for the sorbent material itself, as well as new resonances arising from chemical bonding between the solute or analyte and the sorbent or the solute itself being present in the sorbent.