Trace Detection of Explosives Vapours by Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Security Measures

In view of the recent terror acts for example against aviation or underground transportation systems, it is obvious that the detection techniques used today for explosives are inadequate and have to be improved. In concern with national security there is need for inexpensive, rapid, highly sensitive and selective sensors. In this respect, mass-sensitive devices coated with substance specific molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) look promising to achieve low-cost detection devices capable of detecting gaseous explosives traces fast, sensitively and reliably. preliminary results and possible concepts for MIP-based low-cost sensors are presented in this paper.