Analytical application of poly{methyl[3-(2-hydroxy-3,4-difluoro)phenyl]propyl siloxane} as a QCM coating for DMMP detection

A new material—poly{methyl[3-(2-hydroxy-3,4-difluoro)phenyl]propyl siloxane}(PMDFPS) sensitive to toxic organophosphate vapor was synthesized with 2,3-difluorophenol, allyl bromide and poly (methyl hydrosiloxane) as raw materials, via O-alkylation, Claisen rearrange reaction and hydrosilylation reaction. This novel material was then coated on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to investigate its gas sensitive properties to the nerve agent simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) vapor, as well as known interfering vapors. When tested with competing vapors, the sensor was more than 10 times sensitive to DMMP than to other interfering vapors. Thus, high selectivity of poly{methyl[3-(2-hydroxy-3,4-difluoro)phenyl]propyl siloxane} to DMMP was demonstrated. The poly{methyl[3-(2-hydroxy-3,4-difluoro)phenyl]propyl siloxane}-QCM sensor responded linearly to DMMP vapor with a slope of 14 Hz/ppm in the 1–50 ppm range with a detection limit of 0.21 ppm (S/N = 3).