Enhanced chemical detection using acid catalyzed hydrolysis

1. A device comprising:

an inlet configured to receive a vapor-phase nitric acid precursor;

a solid acid catalyst configured to react with the vapor-phase nitric acid precursor to form nitric acid; and

a chemical detector comprising a chemical reporter configured to respond to the nitric acid, wherein the chemical reporter is configured to detect a response of the chemical reporter to the nitric acid to determine whether materials of interest are present.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an excitation source having an associated wavelength configured to illuminate the chemical reporter to provide the response as a change in fluorescence in the chemical reporter; and

wherein the chemical detector comprises an optical detector.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the chemical reporter comprises a colorimetric reporter, a resistive reporter, a luminescent reporter, or an infrared/Raman reporter.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises an optical detector or a resistivity detector.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the nitric acid precursor comprises one or more of:

a nitrate ester comprising one or more of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN), or nitroglycerin; or

a nitramine comprising cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX).

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid acid catalyst comprises one or more perfluorinated polymers containing sulfonic acid groups.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the chemical detector comprises a substrate reporter surface having a sensing channel comprising a plurality of chemical reporters disposed therein.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the solid acid catalyst is disposed within the sensing channel upstream of the plurality of chemical reporters.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the chemical reporter is a first chemical reporter, and the device further comprises:

a second chemical reporter of the chemical detector configured to receive the vapor-phase nitric acid precursor, wherein the chemical detector is further configured to detect a response of the second chemical reporter to the vapor-phase nitric acid precursor; and

a processor configured to determine whether a particular material of interest is present based on the response of the first chemical reporter and the response of the second chemical reporter.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the chemical reporter is a first chemical reporter;

the inlet is further configured to receive a vapor-phase peroxide precursor;

the solid acid catalyst is further configured to react with the vapor-phase peroxide precursor to form hydrogen peroxide; and

the device further comprises a second chemical reporter of the chemical detector configured to respond to the hydrogen peroxide; and

the chemical detector is further configured to detect a response of the second chemical reporter to the hydrogen peroxide to determine whether materials of interest are present.

11. A method of operating the device of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving the vapor-phase nitric acid precursor;

hydrolyzing the vapor-phase nitric acid precursor in the presence of the solid acid catalyst to form nitric acid;

receiving the nitric acid at the chemical reporter; and

detecting, by the chemical detector, a response of the chemical reporter to the nitric acid to determine whether materials of interest are present.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

illuminating the chemical reporter with an excitation source having an associated wavelength to provide the response as a change in fluorescence in the chemical reporter; and

wherein the detecting is performed by an optical detector.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the chemical reporter comprises a colorimetric reporter, a resistive reporter, a luminescent reporter, or an infrared/Raman reporter.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the detecting is performed by an optical detector or a resistivity detector of the chemical detector.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nitric acid precursor comprises one or more of:

a nitrate ester comprising one or more of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN), or nitroglycerin; or

a nitramine comprising cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX).

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the solid acid catalyst comprises one or more perfluorinated polymers containing sulfonic acid groups.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the chemical detector comprises a substrate reporter surface having a sensing channel comprising a plurality of chemical reporters disposed therein.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the solid acid catalyst is disposed within the sensing channel upstream of the plurality of chemical reporters.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the chemical reporter is a first chemical reporter, and the method further comprises:

receiving the vapor-phase nitric acid precursor at a second chemical reporter of the chemical detector

detecting, by the chemical detector, a response of the second chemical reporter to the vapor-phase nitric acid precursor; and

determining whether a particular material of interest is present based on the response of the first chemical reporter and the response of the second chemical reporter.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the chemical reporter is a first chemical reporter, and the method further comprises:

receiving a vapor-phase peroxide precursor:

reacting the solid acid catalyst with the vapor-phase peroxide precursor to form hydrogen peroxide;

receiving the hydrogen peroxide at a second chemical reporter of the chemical detector; and

detecting, by the chemical detector, a response of the second chemical reporter to the hydrogen peroxide to determine whether materials of interest are present.