PFI:AIR - TT: Transitioning Explosive Sensing Technology to the Marketplace

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This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating the development of a sensor that is based on nanoparticles that change color in the presence of vapors from improvised terrorist explosives and the hydrogen peroxide used to manufacture them. The sensor is important because it improves public safety through a cost-effective way to detect peroxide-based explosives, as well as hydrogen peroxide itself during transportation spills or other accidental release events. The project will result in a prototype electronic "area sensor" that has high sensitivity coupled with high selectivity for peroxide based explosives using simple electronics and a color-changing sensor. These features provide significantly enhanced performance and major cost-savings when compared to the leading competing explosive sensing technologies in this market space. Under this project, the best methods for preparing sensing films will be determined and the response of the sensing films with hydrogen peroxide and the improvised explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP) will be explored. This will provide critical information for the design of the technology that lies at the heart of the prototype sensor and is important for the commercialization of the sensor. The research will also lead to the completion of the design and fabrication of operational sensors using off-the-shelf electronics to keep costs low. In addition, there will be an assessment of potential interferents to ensure that these don't pose problems in sensor commercialization. In addition, personnel involved in this project, including undergraduate and graduates students, will receive entrepreneurship and technology translation experiences through group meetings, workshops, and an entrepreneurship program. The project engages XploSafe, LLC to provide test environments and to guide the commercialization of this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.