Catalytic decomposition of organophosphorus compounds

Abstract

Organophosphorus compounds have several applications (agricultural, industrial, and military). Nevertheless, assessments of the hazards from these applications quite often do not take into account chemical processes during their interactions with environment. The management of contaminants requires considerable knowledge and understanding of contaminant behavior. Unique properties of clay minerals and metal oxides, such as high adsorption and catalytic ability, have resulted in their applications as natural adsorbents and catalysts in the development of cleanup technologies. Knowledge of molecular structure, transformation mechanisms, and the spectrum of potential intermediates/products of the contaminant decomposition is helpful for developing remediation processes. An understanding of the physical characteristics of the adsorption sites of selected soil ingredients, the physical and chemical characteristics of the contaminant, details of sorption of contaminants on soil and in water solution, and also their distribution within the environment is of particular interest. Application of computational chemistry (CC) can provide deeper insight into the aforementioned characteristics of organophosphorus compounds. This review summarizes experimental and theoretical studies which are used to develop theoretical models that explain and predict how clay minerals and metal oxides can affect the adsorption and decomposition of selected organophosphorus compounds. The results can contribute to a better knowledge of the impact of such processes on existing remedial technologies and in the development of new removal and decomposition techniques. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.