Scientific mapping for detoxification of chemical warfare agents using porous organic polymers with internal molecular free volume

Abstract

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have been a consistent a global concern with regard to both defence and civilian safety. In order to safeguard people from these harmful chemicals, numerous research teams have collaborated with defence organizations to find an advanced technological solution in terms of effectiveness and strength. In this context, porous organic polymers (POPs) have been thoroughly investigated as an ideal option for catalytically detoxifying CWAs by initially capturing them and subsequently transforming them into harmless chemicals. POPs are a new category of porous organic material, primarily made up of organic components linked by robust covalent bonds, resulting in highly interconnected frameworks with firm structures and defined voids for housing guest molecules. This review article offers a summary of current studies concerning different synthetic methods for POPs (HCPs, PIMs, and certain amorphous POPs), potential modifications to their functionality, and their promising use in photocatalytic/thermal detoxification of chemical warfare agents (CWAs). This review underscores the need for ongoing research to create effective, safe, and ecofriendly decontamination techniques. Ultimately, various catalytic processes of detoxification like hydrolysis and oxidation have been explored with POPs, and mechanisms were established through structure–activity relationships with various novel techniques. Additional needs and potential applications of utilizing POPs as nanoreactors for the detoxification of CWAs are also discussed.