Introducing Students to Chemical Security Concepts through Interdisciplinary Experiments Using Organic Chemosensors in Engaging Applications of Chemistry

Organic chemosensors remain one of the most investigated topics in the field of sensor technology. This is due mainly to the fact that organic molecules are modular by nature, leading to theoretically limitless possibilities for discovering new molecular scaffolds to be used as sensors. As a consequence, a number of organic chemosensors have been developed that can detect various kinds of analytes, resulting in the uses of these sensors in other disciplines, such as environmental science. In this article, we demonstrate how the advancement of organic chemosensors can contribute to the design of undergraduate experiments related to chemical security, particularly through the detection of dual-use chemicals. Specific examples highlight practicality and illustrate their interdisciplinary nature, including mainly organic synthesis and spectroscopy. Introducing undergraduate students to organic chemosensors offers students a unique and interesting experience, which in turn may deepen their interest in pursuing careers related to chemistry and chemical security.