Polyoxometalate impregnated carbon systems for the in situ degradation of sulphur mustard

Kinetics of in situ degradation bis-(2-chloroethyl) sulphide (sulphur mustard, HD) on polyoxometalate impregnated carbon systems such as 11-molybdo-1-vanadophosphoric acid (V1/C), phosphotungstic acid (PTA/C), sodium phosphotungstic acid (PTANa/C), phosphomolybdic acid (PMoA/C), sodium phosphomolybdic acid (PMoANa/C) and silicotungstic acid (SiTA/C) have been studied. These carbons were characterized for micropore volume and surface area by N2 Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) equation. For degradation studies the solution of HD in chloroform was prepared and taken for the uniform adsorption on the carbon systems using incipient volume. Degradation kinetics was monitored by gas chromatograph equipped with flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and found to be following the pseudo first order kinetics. The values of kinetic rate constant and half-life were calculated. V1/C system showed the fastest degradation of HD. Hemimustard, thiodiglycol, 1,4-oxathiane, sulphoxide and vinyl-2-chloroethyl sulphide were found to be the degradation products with V1/C system which indicated the oxidative, hydrolytic and dehydrohalogenation reactions, responsible for HD degradation. Effect of moisture was also studied on most reactive system, i.e., V1/C. The study indicated that V1/C can be used as a promising adsorbent system for the degradation of HD.