State-of-the-art of polyoxometalate-based catalysts for catalytic removal of vesicants

Vesicants are one frequently-used kind of chemical warfare agents due to their low-boiling point, high gaseous diffusion, and accessibility. Sulfur mustard is one of the main vesicant that has since been banned by international organization, but there are still large stocks in some countries and its production is relatively easy, requiring no tedious steps or expensive equipment. Thus far, catalytic oxidation, alongside physical adsorption and hydrolysis has been proven one of the most effective methods for decontaminating the HD simulant, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES). POMs have exhibited outstanding catalytic oxidation performance toward CEES owing to their unique redox properties, robust structural stability, flexible metal valence and the presence of numerous active sites. This review summarizes the advances of POM-based materials for catalytic decontamination of vesicants simulant CEES, including POMs, POM-based MOFs and POMs composites. This review provides new sights for engineering robust POM-based catalysts for the catalytic decontamination of CWAs.