G- and V-type nerve agents are insidious chemical weapons. They function by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which in turn leads to loss of pulmonary function. The weapons are internationally banned, most recently under the terms of a nearly universally endorsed convention in 1993. Nevertheless, nerve agents have been implicated in multiple deadly attacks after 1993. Hybrid materials capable of rapid catalytic detoxification of these weapons, could, in principle, provide a welcome basis for protection against exposure to agents. Zirconium-, hafnium-, and cerium-containing MOFs have shown remarkable catalytic activity for hydrolytic degradation of G- and V-type agents and/or their much-less-toxic simulants. This talk will offer a brief Northwestern-centric overview of the stepwise development of these promising materials, as well as a chemical mechanistic look at the basis for their activity. New and unexpected mechanistic findings are offering insight into the design of superior catalysts, and into chemical strategies for sustaining catalyst activity. The work to be presented builds on collaborative efforts over a period of years with Profs. O. Farha, R. Snurr, S. Nguyen, and C. Cramer; several industrious graduate students, postdocs, and research associates; and several DOD scientists, including, in particular, G. Peterson and J. Decoste.

MOFs for deactivation of nerve agents and their simulants

2019 Fall National Meeting

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