Polyoxometalate Fabri Catalysts for Air Purification

Polyoxometalates (POMS) are a broad class of inexpensive inorganic materials that offer a wide range of structures and a corresponding variety of properties. Recent discoveries in the laboratory of Professor Craig Hill at Emory University offer the potential to prepare POM-coated fibers and fabrics with catalytic properties. The objective of this project is to develop this technology and apply it to protect soldiers from chemical warfare agents (CW agents) Current chemical protective clothing, either permeable or carbon cloth,imposes a significant heat stress on the user. An ideal protective clothing ensemble, both from the standpoint of user comfort and cost, would be a conventional battle dress uniform (BDU) made with cloth that had the ability to catalytically deactivate CW agents. While this ideal is far in the future, much can be done now to prepare BDUs that offer some level of chemical protection. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA), in collaboration with Professor Hill and his research group, will prepare and test POM-coated fabrics to demonstrate the feasibility of catalytic deactivation of CW agents. We will be assisted by collaborations with the Army's Natick RD&E Center, and with a fabric manufacturer with a long-standing interest in catalytically active fabrics BENEFITS: A successful project will lead to the development of an inexpensive fabric to project soldiers from chemical warfare agents. The same clothing would be useful for industrial and agricultural workers who are exposed to hazardous fumes. POM-fabrics that are effective in deactivating CW agents should also be able to improve indoor air quality by destroying many of the common molecules that are responsible for objectionable odors. Preliminary results in this regard are extremely encouraging and a patent has just been submitted. A catalytic deodorizing cloth (e.g. for draperies or upholstered furniture) that was even moderately effective would find an immediate, world-wide market.