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Title: Adsorption and Destruction of the G-Series Nerve Agent Simulant Dimethyl Methylphosphonate on Zinc Oxide

Journal Article · · ACS Catalysis

Organophosphorus chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are extremely toxic compounds that are nominally mitigated with gas mask filtration employing metal oxide impregnated activated carbon filtration material. To develop more effective sorbents, it is important to understand the surface chemistry between these organophosphorus compounds and the individual components that make up these filtration materials. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to investigate the adsorption and decomposition mechanisms between a sarin simulant molecule, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), and zinc oxide, which is a component found in current filtration materials. Theoretical calculations show that DMMP readily adsorbs to a pristine and hydroxylated ZnO ($$101\bar 0$$) surface with average adsorption energies of 132 and 65 kJ mol–1, respectively. Experimental diffuse reflectance fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) reveals that ZnO adsorbs water and readily hydroxylates under ambient conditions, which can facilitate adsorption through hydrogen bonding of the P$$=$$O to ZnO surface hydroxyls. FTIR gas phase analysis also reveals that DMMP decomposes in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) to produce methanol at room temperature. Assuming a fully hydroxylated surface of ZnO, DFT calculations reveal several plausible mechanisms for DMMP decomposition to form methanol with an activation energy barrier of 99.6 kJ mol–1. Finally, on the basis of this energy barrier to decompose DMMP, a turnover frequency (TOF) of only 3.5 × 10–7 s–1 is calculated assuming full coverage of DMMP on the ZnO nanoparticles tested. This value is qualitatively consistent with experimental results.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1543707
Journal Information:
ACS Catalysis, Vol. 9, Issue 2; ISSN 2155-5435
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 46 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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