Rapid activation of basic hydrogen peroxide by borate and efficient destruction of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and chemical warfare agents (CWAs)

The activation process of the B(OH) 3 -activated H 2 O 2 solution and its performance toward toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) were investigated to find an efficient way to destroy TICs and CWAs. 11 B NMR analysis proved that B(OH) 3 reacted rapidly with basic H 2 O 2 to produce peroxoborates ([B(OH) (4− x ) (OOH) x ] − ), and the proportional contents were closely related to the pH and temperature. 1 O 2 and ·O 2 − were generated, and their production increased exponentially with pH. TICs thioanisole and paraoxon were used as simulants of CWAs to investigate the decontamination performance and nucleophilic/oxidizing reactivity of the B(OH) 3 -activated H 2 O 2 . Batch experiments proved that peroxoborates acted as the oxidants for the primary oxidation of the sulfide at a pH range of 8–12 and that ·O 2 − was responsible for the further oxidation of sulfoxide. Paraoxon degraded through OOH − -mediated S N 2 displacement with high stereo-selectivity, and the degradation rate increased exponentially with pH. Mustard gas, soman, and VX degraded effectively into nontoxic products in the B(OH) 3 -activated H 2 O 2 solution. A pH of 9–11 was recommended as the suitable acidity for developing the B(OH) 3 -activated H 2 O 2 solution to be a candidate for nucleophilic/oxidizing decontaminant, with advantages in rapid activation and low loss rate of reactive oxygen species .