Key requirements for emerging methodologies for the destruction of organophosphorus-based nerve agents include efficiency, effectiveness and minimal to no collateral damage on the environment.  One of the most common approaches to date due to its great efficiency involves the use of oxidative processes mediated by bleach.  However, the highly oxidative nature of the process coupled to the greater-than stoichiometric use of the oxidant, places significant limitations on the wide applicability and safety of such a strategy.  Previous work in our laboratory has focused on the use of zinc-based aza-macrocyclic compounds for the destruction of pesticides.  This work led to its natural extension involving their employment in the destruction of a panel of G-series nerve agents.  The incubation of the agents in sodium phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4) in the presence of these zinc-containing molecules displayed catalytic behavior and, in some cases, to the complete hydrolysis (inactivation) of the agent in under two hours at ambient temperature.  Herein, we present our initial studies on the catalytic activities of these aza-macrocyclic compounds and the use of advanced NMR measurements for the kinetic analysis as well as the identification of by-products arising from these experiments.

Zinc-based catalysts for the destruction of organophosphorus-based compounds

248th National Meeting (2014)

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