Rapid Detection Of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants Using Gold Nanoparticles Substrate-Assisted Enhanced Low Temperature Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

The low temperature plasma (LTP) probe which can be used to quickly detect solid, liquid and gaseous samples has the characteristics of simple, fast and accurate, and easy to miniaturize. It has become a hot spot in the field of rapid detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs). VX and HD have the characteristics of high toxicity, high boiling point and poor volatility. They are often dispersed on the surface of ground , equipment or clothing in the form of aerosols or droplets , which becomes a difficult problem for rapid detection on the spot. In this work , gold nanoparticles substrate-assisted low-temperature plasma-mass spectrometry was developed for rapidly detecting two CWA stimulants : malathion and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) in soil. Under the optimal conditions, the MS signal strength was improved by 7-9 times compared to the CWA simulants which were tested without the aid of gold nanoparticles. The experimental data of two simulants showed a good linear relationship between the signal and the concentration in the range of 5.0-1000 mu g/g, with correlation coefficient (R-2) of 0. 9784 and 0. 9915, and the limits of detection were 1.5 and 1.0 mu g/g, respectively. The method could effectively improve the ionization efficiency of nonvolatile solid and liquid compounds through the interaction of gold nanoparticles and plasma. Also, the method was fast, accurate and sensitive, and had a good application prospect in the military field.