DETECTOR FOR NITRO-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS COMPRISING FUNCTIONALIZED SILICON NANOCRYSTALS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

摘要

A detector and a method for the detection of nitro-containing compounds, such as explosives, is described. Detection is by observing the quenching of the photoluminescence of functionalized silicon nanocrystals, such as amine-functionalized silicon nanocrystals, oligonucleotide-functionalized silicon nanocrystals, oligomer or monolayer alkyl-functionalized silicon nanocrystals, aromatic polymer-functionalized silicon nanocrystals and alkanoic acid-functionalized silicon nanocrystals by the nitro-containing compounds. The detector and method are non-toxic, portable, rapid and straightforward and therefore are amenable for convenient on-site detection of nitro-containing compounds.