IISc develops molecular "sniffer dog" to detect explosives

they have come up with a highly sensitive fluorescent polymer that scouts out a class of commonly-used explosives

The sniffer dog might finally have its day. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) have created a highly sensitive fluorescent polymer that scouts out a class of commonly used explosives.

TNT and other nitroaromatic compounds, which are used in a cocktail of chemicals in landmines and plastic explosive devices, release vapours that ‘quench’ the polymers, reducing their glow, according to a team from IISc.’s Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry.

“The team has developed two types of fluorescent polymers — supramolecular polymers and porous metallic-organic polymer — that are electron-rich and pick up vapour from TNT and other nitroaromatic explosives much like a molecular ‘sniffer dog’,” says P.S. Mukherjee, associate professor at the department and co-author of a paper on the experiment published in the latest edition of Chemistry: A European Journal.

“While the drop in fluorescence is not visible to the naked eye, it is visually sensed and interpreted by a high resolution spectrometer,” Dr. Mukherjee explained.

Nitroaromatic compounds are replacing conventional metal-based weapons in the explosives industry, the research paper says, adding that the compounds are available commercially. Besides their explosive nature, the chemicals contaminate groundwater after military operations and an efficient method to detect them at low concentrations is now needed. “The next step for the teamnow is to develop similar systems to detect other forms of explosives such as RDX and ammonium nitrate.