J Hazard Mater. 2026 Jan 17;503:141192. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141192. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
The design and development of a universal detection system for toxic chemicals such as chemical warfare (CW) agents and pesticides offers a promising solution for safety and surveillance in defense, environment, and health sectors. The ability to detect a wide spectrum of these hazardous chemicals rapidly, simply, and cost-effectively through a visible color change provides a highly practical and impactful tool. This manuscript introduces a universal platform that enables the detection of nerve agents, blister agents, and organophosphorus (OP) pesticides using 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) as a central probe through two distinct strategies. For nerve agent detection, 1-phenylbutane-1,2,3-trione-2-oxime (1) reacts with nerve agents to form an intermediate, phosphorylated oxime (5). This intermediate rapidly decomposes, releasing cyanide ions that subsequently react with DTNB to produce a ‘turn-on’ response. Blister agents are identified through their rapid reaction with sodium thiosulfate at room temperature, forming Bunte salts that do not interact with DTNB, resulting in a ‘turn-off’ response. Beyond nerve and blister agents, the applicability of this strategy was further expanded to detect OP pesticides, highlighting its broad-spectrum potential. The approach effectively overcomes the challenge of achieving high specificity amid potentially cross-reactive substances. Moreover, this platform also demonstrated a robust performance across diverse matrices, including soil, water, and fruit. Recovery experiments in soil showed acceptable precision, underscoring both the reliability of the method and its environmental relevance. To facilitate real-time field deployment for first responders, a portable sensor kit was fabricated to visually detect CW agents and OP pesticides. Smartphone-assisted colorimetric analysis of a detector paper delivered reliable analytical performance, exhibiting statistically validated sensitivity and reproducible responses.
PMID:41576450 | DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141192
