Abstract
A screening method for the highly toxic nerve agent VX is required for forensic and clinical analysis. In this study, a simple colorimetric method using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was established as an efficient strategy for VX detection by the naked eye. The AuNPs changed from bright red to deep blue on addition of VX under weakly acidic conditions. In the presence of 2-(diisopropylamino)ethanethiol (DAET), which is a major hydrolysis product of VX, AuNP aggregation was observed. This aggregation occurred under weakly alkaline conditions; therefore, the associated color change occurred at a different pH to that induced by VX addition. The presence of DAET could therefore be identified by a simple pH adjustment. In addition, we developed a hand-powered extraction device for on-site primary screening. The developed method and device were applied for the detection of trace levels of VX and DAET in samples taken from simulated crime scenes.
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