Metal-organic frameworks as media for the catalytic degradation of chemical warfare agents

Because of the highly toxic properties of chemical warfare agents (CWA), an effective technology for the deactivation/detoxification of CWAs is desperately needed. Due to the safety issues involved in treating CWAs, catalytic conversion into (an)other non-toxic or less toxic material is suggested as one of the most favorable routes for their treatment. In this respect, many materials including zeolites, activated carbon, and metal oxides have been used as catalysts for the hydrolysis/methanolysis of the highly toxic organophosphate bonds of CWAs. However, the limited structural flexibility of these catalytic materials has been a hurdle to expanding detoxification on a large scale. A new option of using various porous materials for this application, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), has provided the potential for structural tailoring of the deactivation of CWAs. To discuss the potential of MOFs as deactivation/detoxification platforms for CWAs, we have initially described the structural pre-requisites for improving the catalytic activity of the MOF catalysts. A detailed explanation of the MOF catalysis and suitable examples are provided along with future perspectives and recommendations for such applications. We hope that this review will help provide a new roadmap for the scientists who are working in the area of heterogeneous catalytic approaches for the efficient degradation of CWAs.