| Dr Stephen Blanksby (left) with PhD student Martin Paine in front of ... Dr Stephen Blanksby (left) with PhD student Martin Paine in front of a computer screen showing masked personnel on alert for chemical warfare |
Surprise reaction shows how peroxides destroy chemical weapons
10 Jun 2008 | Bernie Goldie
Understanding how peroxides can destroy chemical warfare agents such as sarin has advanced a major step as a result of research work emanating from UOW’s School of Chemistry.
The latest findings from this research have been published in Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry and were highlighted in Chemical Science, a news magazine which draws together coverage from all Royal Society of Chemistry publications.
The article is based on research undertaken by Dr Andrew McAnoy (Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Melbourne), Dr Stephen Blanksby, a Senior Lecturer, in UOW’s School of Chemistry and his PhD student, Martin Paine.
Peroxides are efficient and effective chemicals for chemical warfare agent decontamination – both in solution or as a vapour.
Dr Blanksby said that although these chemicals are widely used, the way in which they work has not been well understood.
However, Dr Blanksby and his colleagues have now identified the reaction pathway or mechanism for the degradation reaction triggered by the use of peroxides.
The researchers witnessed a surprise chemical reaction which for the past 20 years has been widely accepted as impossible to observe in the gas phase.
In Chemical Science Dr McAnoy described the research as an important link between theoretical and experimental chemistry.
“The gas phase reactions have still to be linked to degradation processes taking place on the lab bench and ultimately in the field.
“If this can be done then existing technologies can be improved and new, better, technologies developed,” Dr McAnoy said.
Chemical Science pointed out that vaporous peroxide-based decontaminants have the potential to clean up buildings, vehicles, and even small electronic equipment following chemical or biological contamination.
The magazine highlighted how vaporous hydrogen peroxide was used in some of the remediation work that followed the 2001 anthrax attacks in the US.
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