SENSORS: A New Approach to Recognition Element Synthesis and Integration

化学战剂是现代武器装备中的潜伏元素。这些剧毒毒剂可以通过导弹等复杂方法运送，也可以通过简单的装置运送，比如1995年留在东京地铁上的沙林溶液袋子。沙林等神经毒气很容易制备，使它们成为容易获得的大规模杀伤性武器。它们的急性毒性要求在暴露之前采取预防措施和解毒剂。具有高灵敏度和快速响应的传感器可以确保平民和军事人员的安全。NSF传感器计划的研究成果不仅将为神经毒剂检测提供独特的传感器，而且将在基础识别科学方面取得进展。(I)拟议活动的智力价值：该研究包括开发多肽/染料偶联物，旨在对G和VX型化学战剂快速反应和响应。尽管进行了多年的积极研究，但还没有出现允许开发和优化特定传感器的通用平台。将开发一种使用传感器设计的一般策略来检测G和VX病毒的方法。这种方法还可以为生物医学、食品科学和环境应用提供传感器。为了检测非致命剂量的化学战剂，扩增是必要的。多肽/染料偶联物将被纳入一种新的基于光捕获的放大方案，这是光物理和合成化学接口的发展。这项研究将更好地了解如何控制固体中的能量迁移，这也将对光伏电池和有机发光二极管的设计产生影响。(Ii)拟议活动产生的更广泛的影响：尽管科学和工程取得了很大进展，但我们监测和量化空气、水和食品质量的能力仍然很低。在未来，廉价的传感器将持续监测环境中的污染物、化学和生物战剂以及其他毒素。这项提案概述了使用可靠和廉价的方法测量化学战剂的步骤。建议的传感器应该容易且廉价地集成到便携式传感器中，用于购物中心、机场、写字楼和士兵制服，以监测低浓度的神经毒剂。这个项目是跨学科的，将在光物理、材料科学和化学的界面上培养学生。学生将学习如何合成有机染料和聚合物，如何创建和表征薄膜，以及如何测量和量化光物理性质。接受这种培训的学生应该受到对电信、有机LED、光子学和传感器感兴趣的公司的追捧。PI还计划创建研讨会和项目，教育儿童和中小学教师。这个项目的一个重要元素是光如何与物质相互作用。光计算、光通信、光伏和其他光采集设备正在成为重要的商业领域。因此，小学生和高中生应该接触到吸收、发光和能量迁移的基本概念。作为迈向这一目标的一步，PI将为学生和教师创建“光与物质互动”的工作坊、动手演示和培训机会。

Chemical warfare agents are insidious elements of modern weaponry. These highly toxic agents can be delivered by complex methods such as guided missiles or by simple devices such as the bags of sarin solution left on a Tokyo subway in 1995. Nerve gases such as sarin are easily prepared, making them readily accessible weapons of mass destruction. Their acute toxicity requires that precautions and antidotes be taken before exposure occurs. Sensors with high sensitivity and rapid response can ensure the safety of civilians and military personnel. The research results of this NSF SENSORS proposal will provide not only unique sensors for nerve agent detection, but also advances in basic recognition science.(I) The intellectual merit of the proposed activity: The research consists of the development of peptide/dye conjugates designed to rapidly react with and respond to G and VX type chemical warfare agents. Despite many years of active research, no general platform has emerged that allows development and optimization of specific sensors. A method to detect G and VX agents using a general strategy for sensor design will be developed. This approach could provide sensors for biomedical, food science, and environmental applications as well. Amplification is necessary to detect non-lethal doses of chemical warfare agents. The peptide/dye conjugates will be incorporated into a new light harvesting-based amplification scheme that is a development at the interface of photophysics and synthetic chemistry. This research will provide a better understanding of how to control energy migration within solids, which will also have implications for photovoltaic cell and organic light emitting diode design.(II) The broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity: Despite great advances in science and engineering, our ability to monitor and quantify air, water and food quality is rudimentary. In the future, inexpensive sensors will continuously monitor the environment for pollutants, chemical and biological warfare agents, and other toxins. This proposal outlines steps towards measuring chemical warfare agents using robust and inexpensive means. The proposed sensors should be easily and inexpensively incorporated into portable sensors for use in shopping malls, airports, office buildings and soldier uniforms to monitor for low concentrations of nerve agents. This project is interdisciplinary and will train a student at the interface of photophysics, materials science, and chemistry. The student will learn how to synthesize organic dyes and polymers, how to create and characterize thin films, and how to measure and quantify the photophysical properties. Students with this training shouldbe sought after by companies interested in telecommunications, organic LEDs, photonics, and sensors.The PI also plans to create workshops and programs to educate children and elementary and high school teachers. An important element of this project is how light interacts with matter. Optical computing, optical communications, photovoltaics, and other light harvesting devices are becoming important areas of commerce. As such, elementary and high school students should be exposed to basic concepts of absorption, luminescence, and energy migration. As a step toward this goal, the PI will create "light interacting with matter" workshops, hands-on demonstrations and training opportunities for both students and teachers.