Nanotechnologies and nerve gas sensors against chemical terrorism

Nanotechnologies and nerve gas sensors against chemical terrorism Organophosphorus compounds represent one of the most important and lethal classes of chemical warfare agents. The ease of manufacturing organophosphorus compounds based on inexpensive starting materials makes them a weapon of choice for terrorist attacks. As a consequence, the rapid detection of these nerve agents requires highly sensitive and selective sensors in order to alert and launch adequate safety procedures. Some commercially available sensors for organophosphorus nerve agents are presented in this article, as well as promising approaches based on nanotechnologies that should give rise to advanced sensors highly competitive when compared to current technologies.