Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of blistering agent sulfur mustard to non-blistering substances using pPy/NiOBPC nanocomposite

In this study, we have explored a simple and new strategy to degrade the blistering agent sulfur mustard (HD) stockpiles into non blistering chemicals at ambient conditions by using an electrochemically prepared polypyrrole nickel octabutoxyphthalocyanine nanocomposite on platinum electrode (NiOBPC/pPy/Pt). Scanning electron microscopy indicated the presence of pPy–NiOBPC nanocomposite on NiOBPC/pPy/Pt and EDX confirmed the electrochemical incorporation of NiOBPC on pPy/Pt. The pPy/Pt and NiOBPC/pPy/Pt are also characterized electrochemically and then used for further studies. NiOBPC/pPy/Pt photoelectrocatalytically degraded sulfur mustard (100–0.0%) in 5 h. The degradation products identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were non blistering chemicals (thiodiglycol, butyleneglycol and ethyleneglycol). Moreover, electrochemical parameters such as diffusion coefficient (9.8 × 10−7 cm2/s), heterogeneous rate constant (0.639 s−1), transfer coefficient (0.732) and the number of electron involved (1.0) in the HD reduction were deduced from the CV results of NiOBPC/pPy/Pt.

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► A simple photoelectrocatalytic method for degradation of sulfur mustard to non-toxic products.
► Electrochemically prepared polypyrrole nickeloctabutoxyphthalocyanine nano-composite.
► Modified electrode showed stability and electrocatalytic activity towards HD and used for the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of HD.