Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Chemical Warfare Agents: Strategy and Exemples

Abstract

Since the addition of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) in the World War I, there has been a constant demand for the development of rapid and accurate analytical instruments for detecting and identifying these agents. The most common techniques used in CWAs determination are spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Although they possess remarkable robustness, they require prolonged analysis time, experienced personnel, expensive instrumentation and are not fit for on-field applications and fast early alert. Fortunately, electrochemical sensors represent a viable alternative due to their, simple instrumentation, high sensitivity and low cost. The aim of this article is to highlight some important aspects of electrochemical sensing and to present some electrochemical sensors developed for CWAs detection. The future perspectives and challenges in electrochemical sensor development for CWAs detection is also discussed.