Development of a Metal–Organic Framework/Textile Composite for the Rapid Degradation and Sensitive Detection of the Nerve Agent VX

In
the case of an incident with nerve agents, the timely and ready
detection and identification of such a substance on suspected surfaces
is essential. However, the detection of low levels of nerve agents
on a surface is a considerable challenge for conventional detection
equipment, especially with VX, a highly toxic nerve agent with low
volatility. Here, we report the development of a metal–organic
framework (MOF)/fabric composite that gives a rapid, visual, and sensitive
color response when pre-wetted and rubbed over a VX-contaminated surface.
The fabric is composed of cotton textile modified with the zirconium-based
MOF MOF-808 that possesses a bidentate reactive dye, ditopic 5,5-dithiobis­(2-nitrobenzoic
acid) (DTNB), on its nodes. The crystal structure of DTNB@MOF-808
showed that DTNB bridges between two adjacent nodes in MOF-808. The
colorless composite changes to bright orange upon contact with VX
as a result of the degradation of VX and the concomitant reaction
of the dye with a VX degradation product in the MOF pores.