Nanomaterials for organophosphate sensing: present and future perspective

Pesticides and insecticides are two important classes of compounds that are mainly used for agricultural purposes. Organophosphates are one of the main chemical classes that make pesticides and insecticides and often exhibit toxicity towards living organisms. Nerve agents, a subset of organophosphorus substances, have been developed and employed in warfare as well as in terrorist threats and; consequently, their use is banned in multiple countries. Many methods were developed and still many are being developed. Recent development of nanomaterials has led to the development of new sensing techniques and devices for spontaneous detection of organophosphates. The present chapter discusses the nanomaterials and their properties used in organophosphate. Electrochemical and optical properties were discussed with different strategies. The uniqueness of different materials has been highlighted with respect to an application. Along with this, sensing mechanisms with different nanomaterials have been highlighted.