New poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)/polyvinyl alcohol copolymer coated QCM sensor for interaction with CWA simulants.

A series of copolymers, namely, poly (N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)/polyvinyl alcohol (PDMAEMA/PVA), have been obtained through emulsion polymerization. Then, a synthetic copolymer (PDMAEMA/PVA)-coated quartz crystal microbalance sensor (PC-QCM) has been developed to apply in evaluating the interactions between the copolymers and three chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulants, such as diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP), 2,2'-dichlorodiethyl ether (DCE), and dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). The results from the QCM measurements indicate that the PDMAEMA/PVA copolymers not only directly degradate sarin simulants (DCP and DMMP), but also show obvious absorption in mustard gas simulant (DCE). In addition, the mass of degraded DCP by the copolymer is calculated on the basis of resonance frequency shifts (Δf) of quartz crystal in the QCM sensor, which may be applied to quantitatively evaluate the reactivity of PDMAEMA/PVA copolymers. Furthermore, the fluorescence of PDMAEMA/PVA copolymers in DMSO solution gradually quenched with the addition of DCP solution, which can be explained that the reactions take place between DCP and reactive groups of PDMAEMA/PVA copolymers. Thus, this PDMAEMA/PVA membrane may be a good candidate for the application in chemical warfare protective materials, and this new PC-QCM technique shows potential application in the rapid, real-time, and sensitive detection of the chemical warfare agents and hazardous chemicals.