A novel catalytic approach to the chemical detoxification of P-ester nerve agents

Abstract

An effective method for the destruction of P-based nerve agent simulants using the ester interchange reaction is described; depolymerization of polycarbonate in the presence of aryl phosphinates and KOBu^t (5 mol%) leads to a net breakdown of the toxic constituents of the simulants while immobilizing each component as a polymer end group; the data suggest that application of this approach to the destruction of nerve agents such as VX may be fruitful.