This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a new and improved sensor material to detect the vapors of peroxide-based homemade explosives. The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense have identified peroxide-based homemade explosive detection as a top priority need. Terrorists worldwide continue to carry explosives onto airplanes and transport them through the mail. In addition, sixty percent of US and Allied deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are related to improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Vaporsens is developing a revolutionary detector capable of continuous, non-contact detection of explosive threats. The sensor material to be used in the detector can identify the majority of explosives - with the exception of peroxide-base explosives. To develop this multi-target detector, the company must demonstrate the feasibility of detecting peroxide-based explosives with its novel sensor material. The outcome will be a highly sensitive peroxide sensor material ready to be to be integrated into our multi-target explosive detector product.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will address our homeland security needs to chemically detect explosives accurately, quickly, and in a non-intrusive manner. The small, fast-acting detector will be ideal for portable explosive detectors and also for integration into existing security monitoring, building ventilation, and detection systems. Furthermore, the development of such a technology is feasible from an investment standpoint because potential commercial value is high.
Vaporsens develops novel sensory materials which detect trace amounts of explosives and other harmful chemicals. Our sensory materials are proprietary organic nanofibers. Our nanofibers are unique in that they demonstrate unprecedented sensor performance compared to other trace detection technologies. The sensitivity (down to parts per trillion) and speed (milliseconds) is mainly due to the large, porous surface area of the nanofibers. The selectivity comes from a bottom-up fabrication method and software algorithms, which allow our system to differentiate between chemicals and limit false positives. Prior to this SBIR Phase I, Vaporsens had demonstrated that they can develop organic nanofibers to detect two of the three classes of explosives: 1) nitro-based, and 2) ammonia-based explosives. The purpose of the SBIR Phase I proposal was to demonstrate the feasibility of developing organic nanofibers to detect 3) peroxide based explosives. Peroxide-based explosives, such as TATP, comprise one of the most elusive explosives categories and can also be easily made at home. The ease of preparation, unregulated access to precursor chemicals, tremendous explosive power, and easy detonation make peroxide-based explosives highly preferred by terrorists and insurgents. With the ability to detect all three explosives families, Vaporsens would deliver a powerful tool to our nation’s defense and public safety officials. Vaporsens successfully achieved its Phase I goal of demonstrating that a nanofiber sensor can be used for the detection of peroxide-based explosives. With these results, Vaporsens is now developing the nanofiber-based sensors to be used in a handheld explosives detector that can deliver greater sensitivity with a more rapid response in an ultra-portable package.
