ScienceDaily (May 29, 2007) — Scientists in the United States and China are reporting development of a new type of fluorescent sensing material that could lead to innovative devices for rapid detection of explosives in security screening, criminal investigations, and other applications. 

In the study, Southern Illinois University's Ling Zang and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Chinese Academy of Sciences point out that fluorescent-based sensors signal the presence of explosives by losing their glow. Such existing devices, however, have serious limitations, which created the need for a new generation of sensor materials.

The new fluorescent film, made from nanofibrils, overcomes those disadvantages. In laboratory tests, it sensed the presence of vapors from TNT and a related explosives compound with greater effectiveness than existing materials. After sensing the compounds and losing its fluorescence, the material recovered its ability to fluoresce repeatedly during the tests. The experiments suggested that sensors made from the material would resist deterioration from exposure to sunlight, another drawback with existing sensor materials.

Their report is scheduled for the June 20 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication. 

Article: "Detection of Explosives with a Fluorescent Nanofibril Film"

Related Stories

New Molecules Could Change The Face Of Explosives Detection (May 14, 2008) — Chemists have developed complex molecules for use in portable sensors that quickly and reliably detect the presence of plastic explosives, a pressing need for soldiers in Iraq. The molecules can also ...  > read more

MIT Scientists Improve Explosives Detection (May 2, 2005) — MIT researchers have announced a scientific breakthrough that could greatly improve explosives detection for military and civilian security ...  > read more

New Analytical Tool Developed For Liquid Explosives Detection (Oct. 13, 2006) — The thwarted 2006 London airline bomb plot not only heightened summer travel fears and created new passenger screening inconveniences, but also greatly underscored the urgent need for improved ...  > read more

'T-ray' Breakthrough Signals Next Generation Of Security Sensors (Feb. 11, 2008) — A new generation of sensors for detecting explosives and poisons could be developed following new research into a type of radiation known as T-rays. The research shows that these T-rays, ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily

Detecting Toxins: Saving Lives