To destroy chemical weapons, scientists first need to understand how these hazardous substances break down. Using safer substitutes, Johns Hopkins materials scientists have developed a way to use advanced imaging technology to track the decomposition of surrogate chemicals in real time—a step toward effective protection from these deadly agents.
Their Polygonal Rotating Mirror Infrared Spectrometer, or PRiMIRS, can detect changes in the CWA simulant diisopropyl methyl phosphonate (DIMP) within milliseconds of exposure to combusting metal powders that produce heat. Their findings appear in the Review of Scientific Instruments.
“Neutralizing DIMP with metallic powders happens in less than a second, so we needed to develop a system that could measure very quickly,” says team member Preetom “Ruku” Borah, a graduate student. “Our spectrometer captures information more than a thousand times per second.”
Under the guidance of advisor Tim Weihs, professor of materials science and engineering and director of the Materials Science in Extreme Environments University Research Alliance, Borah and colleagues designed PRiMIRS to track molecular changes in infrared light.
They do this by reflecting the light off a series of mirrors to capture rapid decomposition in real time. A polygonal rotating mirror moving at 33,000 rotations per minute allows for precise wavelength separation, revealing DIMP’s breakdown.
The fully customizable system can be adapted to study other chemical agents.
— CATHERINE GRAHAM