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New American Chemical Society podcast: 2-in-1 explosive detector and neutralizer

May 10th, 2011

A two-in-one material that can both detect and neutralize explosives of the type favored by Richard Reid, the notorious shoe bomber who tried to blow-up a commercial airliner in 2001, is the topic of the latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions" podcast.

The podcast explains that the detector/neutralizer is a material made of metal oxide nanoparticles so small that 50,000 could fit across the width of a single human hair. It changes color in the presence of certain explosives, alerting emergency responders to the threat. The material also can be sprayed onto bombs or suspicious packages to inactivate certain explosives, according to Allen Apblett, Ph.D., study leader. "This stuff is going to be used anywhere terrorist explosives are, says Apblett, who reported at the ACS' 241st National Meeting & Exposition in Anaheim, CA.

Provided by American Chemical Society

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