Nano-Structured Solids and Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Selective Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents

The destruction of chemical hazardous agents can be required on the field, for decontamination after an accidental or deliberate release, as well as in laboratories, pilot plants and chemical agent destruction sites, for abatement of stockpiled chemical weapons. Nanostructured inorganic metal oxides and/or metal particles, in all forms and formulations, constitute a large class of materials that are suitable for such purposes. They are robust, rich in specifi c surface sorption sites, active in the degradation of hazardous compounds via catalytic or photocatalytic mechanisms and, in most cases, relatively cheap. Such nanosystems show promising performances in terms of activity and selectivity, even at very low catalyst to toxic agent ratios. It is thus possible to move from conventional stoichiometric destruction to catalytic chemical decontamination of hazardous compounds. However, the recent ever-increasing concerns about the consequences on human health and environment of nanosized inorganic systems must induce a careful investigation about their toxicological and pathogenic impact on living organisms.