Hydrolysis-based degradation of organophosphorus nerve agents and simulants: water/base-dependent reactivity, catalytic materials and life-cycle considerations.

This review presents field-relevant criteria for selecting hydrolysis-based decontaminants for organophosphorus nerve-agent decontamination according to water and base availability. We compare metal oxides, zeolites and porous silicas, carbon-based composites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and polyoxometalates (POMs) by active-site structure, medium dependence, reaction selectivity, and product-induced deactivation. Because reported half-life and rate constants depend strongly on reaction conditions, we reclassify literature data using water availability (W-Class) and base availability (B-Class) and relate them to dry surfaces, humid interfaces, and bulk aqueous systems. This classification clarifies how apparent catalytic performance changes with water supply, base or buffer addition, interfacial mass transfer, and product accumulation. Here, life-cycle considerations are scoped as screening-level cradle-to-gate production burdens, complemented by W/B-Class-linked discussion of operational resource inputs, secondary-waste generation, spent-solid handling, and spent-liquid management. Therefore, this review proposes that hydrolysis-based decontaminant selection should move beyond laboratory rate comparisons and toward system-level assessment based on agent identity, water/base availability, reaction selectivity, application form, cradle-to-gate production burden, and operational waste-management requirements.