Nerve Gas Simulant Sensing by a Uranyl-Salen Monolayer Covalently Anchored on Quartz Substrates

Abstract

A uranyl complex monolayer that easily allows the optical detection of a nerve gas simulant, namely, dimethyl methylphosphonate, is reported. Both UV/Vis spectroscopy and photoelectron data confirm that the functional hybrid material coordinates a Lewis base by means of the P=O group, which interacts with the uranium equatorial site available for complexation.

Keywords: Lewis bases; molecular recognition; monolayers; sensors; uranium.