Patent ID: 7674627

Claim:
A method for detecting the presence of a nerve agent, said method comprising the steps of: providing a sensor composition comprising an alpha effect nucleophile group; reacting said sensor composition with said nerve agent, wherein said nerve agent undergoes a nucleophilic substitution reaction with said alpha effect nucleophile group of said sensor composition resulting in formation of detectable reaction product, wherein said nerve agent has a phosphorous atom bound to an oxygen atom and to a leaving group, wherein said phosphorous atom is a tetrahedral phosphorous atom with a formal double bond to said oxygen atom, wherein said alpha effect nucleophile group of said sensor composition binds to said phosphorous atom of said nerve agent by said nucleophilic substitution reaction to form an adduct, and wherein said adduct undergoes a rearrangement reaction, thereby generating said detectable reaction product; and detecting said detectable reaction product, thereby detecting the presence of said nerve agent.