I-Corps: Naked eyes-based standoff detection of explosives using novel signal-amplifying nanocomposite and hand-held UV light

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Terrorist threats and millions of unexploded land mines buried around the world necessitate the development of equipment for explosives detection that is rapid, cost-effective, reliable and user-friendly. The most often used nitro-based explosives (NG, TNT, DNT, RDX, Tetryl, etc.) possesses an, albeit small, vapor pressure and most explosive devices do not shield the explosive hermetically, particularly when considering improvised devices and landmines. Thus, sensing platforms that rely on detecting ultra-traces of explosives vapors are a promising approach toward their detection. Their development has progressed over the past decade. However, sensitivity, simplicity, large-scale application, and cost-effectiveness of such explosives sensing platforms are still problematic. This proposal aims to develop a rapid and cost-effective detection system for identifying the (buried) explosives in large-scale, with unprecedented simplicity, good sensitivity, and low cost. A number of novel features across nanotechnologies, chemistry and sensing technologies are introduced to the proposed system to make it faster and cheaper toward large-scale (buried) explosives detection. Besides stand-alone application of the developed technology, our technology can also be used as a possible add-on device to an existing short range sensor platform (e.g. a metal detector) for explosives detection, thus further broadening its application. The proposed project offers a multidisciplinary training ground for graduate students. The work will advance the development of detection technique for (buried) explosives in general and, if successful, will have an enormous impact on demining activities and protection of civilian as well as homeland security and anti-terrorism activities. In addition, the multidisciplinary nature of the research activity lends itself for dissemination in technical as well as non-technical journals and as a subject of outreach activities. The results generated from this proposal will be used as the teaching materials for undergraduate independent study course as well as the demonstration projects for the School of Engineering's Da Vinci project (a project geared toward the integration of basic engineering concepts into the post-elementary school classroom), UConn's E2K program to enhance K-12 education, and the activities in Homeschoolers Day. Furthermore, if successful, this special NSF I-Corps project will bring together the technological, entrepreneurial, and business know-how and thus translate NSF-supported fundamental research into technology with near-term benefits for US economy and society.