Nerve agents: chemical structures, effect mechanisms and detection methods

With the discovery of chemical weapons, mankind has faced a great threat. These weapons are also called weapon of mass destruction and cause mass human deaths in the region where they are used, regardless of whether they are soldiers or civilians. Countries have focused on chemical defense activities because of the easy production and development of chemical weapons and negative psychological effects on the public. Many people were killed or injured due to the use of chemical weapons during World War I. Nerve agents started to be used in making chemical weapons before World War II began. Thus, the threat of chemical weapons on humanity has reached a much more critical point. Especially during World War II and the Cold War, the development of chemical weapons and the production of nerve agents increased more than ever.In this review, various sensor systems developed for detecting nerve agents have been investigated and these sensors have been compared in terms of operating principles and detection limits.