Designer molecule detects tiny amounts of cyanide, then glows
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 15:14
in Physics & Chemistry
A small molecule designed to detect cyanide in water samples works quickly, is easy to use, and glows under ultraviolet or "black" light. Although the fluorescent molecule is not yet ready for market, its Indiana University Bloomington creators report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that the tool is already able to sense cyanide below the toxicity threshold established by the World Health Organization.