A Reusable Polymeric Film for the Alternating Colorimetric Detection of a Nerve Agent Mimic and Ammonia Vapor with Sub-Parts-per-Million Sensitivity.

Thin polymeric films were developed for the vapor-phase sequential colorimetric detection of a nerve agent mimic and ammonia with high sensitivity. -(4-Benzoylphenyl)acrylamide (BPAm), ,-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), and ()-2-(methyl(4-(pyridine-4yldiazenyl)phenyl)amino)ethyl acrylate (MPDEA, M1) were copolymerized via free radical polymerization (FRP) to yield p(BPAm--DMA--MPDEA), hereafter referred to as P1. P1 exhibits selective sensing properties toward diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP), a nerve agent mimic, in pure aqueous media.