Hybrid preconcentrator for detection of materials

• US 8,652,853 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Government Of The United States As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Markowitz, Michael A, Zeinali, Mazyar, McGill, R Andrew, Stepnowski, Jennifer L, Kusterbeck, Anne W
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Lore
• Application Number:
  US12/246,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 436/815, 436/518
• US Class Current: 436/518
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4022 by thermal techniques; Phase changes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/405 by adsorption or absorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/022 sampling for security purposes, e.g. contraband, warfare agents

Abstract

A device having: one or more substrates in an enclosure having an inlet and an outlet; a template directed molecular imprinted material on the substrates; and a heater to heat the material. A method of: providing the above device including a sensor coupled to the outlet; flowing a gas though the device; heating the material; and flowing any vapor evolved from the material into the sensor.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more substrates in an enclosure;

a template directed molecular imprinted material on the substrates;

an inlet and an outlet of the enclosure that permit air flow through the enclosure and over the substrates; and

a heater that permits heating the template directed molecular imprinted material.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the outlet for detecting vapors.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor is an ion mobility sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate contains one or more holes that permit air flow through the substrate.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a polyimide film.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the template directed molecular imprinted material is an organosilica compound.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the template directed molecular imprinted material is a polysilsesquioxane prepared from a bis(trialkoxysilyl) organic compound.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the bis(trialkoxysilyl) organic compound has an aryl or alkyl group as an organic bridging group.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the template directed molecular imprinted material is silica with a pendant functional group.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the pendant functional group is a quaternary ammonium halide, amine, carboxylate, aryl, alkyl, thiol, sulfonate, phosphate, or hydroxyl group.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the template directed molecular imprinted material is made from N-trimethoxysilylpropyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein an organic molecule is used as an imprint molecule to form the template directed molecular imprinted material.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein an organophosphonate or aromatic compound is used as an imprint molecule to form the template directed molecular imprinted material.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein pinacolyl methylphosphonate is used as an imprint molecule to form the template directed molecular imprinted material.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the heater is one or more platinum heaters on the substrate.

16. A method comprising:

providing a device comprising;

one or more substrates in an enclosure;

a template directed molecular imprinted material on the substrates;

an inlet and an outlet of the enclosure that permit air flow through the enclosure and over the substrates;

a heater that permits heating the template directed molecular imprinted material; and

a sensor coupled to the outlet for detecting vapors;

flowing a gas though the device during a sampling period;

heating the template directed molecular imprinted material with the heater after the sampling period; and

flowing any vapor evolved from the template directed molecular imprinted material during the heating into the sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the gas is an environmental air sample.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensor is an ion mobility sensor.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the substrate contains one or more holes that permit air flow through the substrate.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the substrate is a polyimide film.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the template directed molecular imprinted material is an organosilica compound.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein an organophosphonate or aromatic compound is used as an imprint molecule to form the template directed molecular imprinted material.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein pinacolyl methylphosphonate is used as an imprint molecule to form the template directed molecular imprinted material.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the heater is one or more platinum heaters on the substrate.