Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriet - FTP - Titel Development of a New Sensing Platform for Nitroaromatic Explosives

Explosives pose a significant threat to the safety of our society. Being able to detect explosives in a real-life setting remains a challenge that, so far, only canines have mastered. The tetrakis-tetrathiafulvalene-calix[4]pyrrole sensor molecule, synthesized at the University of Southern Denmark in 2004, has proved to encompass the appropriate geometry and electronic distribution to interact positively via hydrogen bonding, pi-pi interactions, and charge-transfer interactions with electron-deficient planar aromatic molecules such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). In this project, we will integrate the sensor molecule into new platforms that utilize surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) as the read-out and demonstrate that they permits both solution and vapor-based sensing of explosives down to the attogram weight scale. The outcome of this proposal will provide us with important knowledge on how to construct future sensor system for explosives with a low rate of false positives.

Danish