Clean and Efficient Catalytic Reduction of Perchlorate

Recently recognized as a water contaminant in the United States, perchlorate (ClO4−) has been added to the Environmental Protection Agency's “Contaminant Candidate List” (CCL) and “Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule” (UCMR). Removal of perchlorate from water is difficult because of its high solubility and kinetic inertness. Oxorhenium(V) oxazoline complexes catalyze the reduction of perchlorate to chloride with organic sulfides [Eq. (1)] at exceptionally fast rates with no sign of deactivation. Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl, TON=turn-over number.