title: Organophosphate nerve agent detection with europium complexes.
abstract: We explore the detection of paraoxon, a model compound for nonvolatile organophosphate nerve agents such as VX. The detection utilizes europium complexes with 1,10 phenanthroline and thenoyltrifluoroacetone as sensitizing ligands. Both europium luminescence quenching and luminescence enhancement modalities are involved in the detection, which is simple, rapid, and sensitive. It is adaptable as well to the more volatile fluorophosphate nerve agents. It involves nothing more than visual luminescence observation under sample illumination by an ordinary hand-held ultraviolet lamp.
authors.affiliation: Center for Forensic Studies, Physics Department, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051, USA.
authors.forename: Jake R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Schwierking
authors.forename: Laird W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Menzel
authors.forename: E Roland
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Menzel
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D005063:Europium / Q000737:chemistry*; D008024:Ligands; D049449:Luminescence; D010261:Paraoxon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010618:Phenanthrolines / Q000737:chemistry; D013804:Thenoyltrifluoroacetone / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D008024:Ligands; D010618:Phenanthrolines; D013804:Thenoyltrifluoroacetone; D005063:Europium; D010261:Paraoxon; C025205:1,10-phenanthroline