Electrochemical Multiphase Microsensor For Detection Of Organophosphates

A simple, miniaturized and very sensitive electrochemical microsensor has been designed, fabricated and tested to detect trace levels of organophosphorus (OP) compounds. The device is a silicon-based microsensor with a Teflon nanoporous membrane supported on silicon. It uses the reaction of a hydroxamic acid with OP to yield cyanide ions that can be detected electrochemically. The microsensor developed here shows a very sensitive response to an ultra-low level of OP simulant. The inertness of a silicon substrate and also the reduced diffusion time of cyanide ions to the electrode with the nanoporous gas-liquid interface are the factors that tremendously enhance the sensitivity of our detector.