Single-walled
carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were fabricated using AC
dielectrophoresis into chemocapacitive sensors, and molecular receptors
were applied for the selective detection of several chemical warfare
agents (CWAs). The selective responses toward nerve simulants (G and
V), choking and blister agents as well as a pesticide were investigated
with specific receptor molecules that were either covalently functionalized
or noncovalently coated onto the surfaces of the SWCNTs. The SWCNT-based
chemocapacitive sensors showed reproducibility and sensitivity to
200 ppb for several target molecules. The fabricated sensor arrays
were assessed for the selective detection of six different CWAs, and
the principal component analysis demonstrated their specificity. VX,
a real nerve agent, was tested on the fabricated SWCNT-based chemocapacitive
sensor coated with a thiourea-functionalized siloxane polymer, and
the successful detection of VX at 100 ppb confirmed that our SWCNT-based
sensors are suitable for practical applications.