Detection of methyl salicylate using polymer-filled chemicapacitors

Methyl salicylate (MeS) is used as a chemical warfare agent simulant to test chemical protective garments and other individual personal protective gear. The accurate and real-time detection of this analyte is advantageous for various testing regimes. This paper reports the results of MeS vapor exposures on polymer-filled capacitance-based sensors at temperatures ranging from 15 °C to 50 °C under dry and humid conditions. Multiple capacitors were arranged in an array on a silicon chip each having a different sorptive polymer. The sensors used parallel-plate electrode geometry to measure the dielectric permittivity changes of each polymer when exposed to water and MeS vapor. Of the four polymers tested against MeS, the optimal polymer displayed near or sub-parts-per-million detection limits at 35 °C (0–80%RH).