Significance of Chemical Decomposition of Chloroethyl Phenyl Sulfide (CEPS) using Zinc-Cadmium Oxide (ZnO-CdO) Nanocomposite

The zinc-cadmium oxide (ZnO-CdO) nanocomposites with different weight percentages of cadmium oxide (CdO) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by the sonochemical method using zinc and cadmium nitrates as precursors to probe their nano-structured surfaces for the decomposition reactions of chloroethyl phenyl sulfide (CEPS) as a surrogate of sulfur mustard agent simulant. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques were used to consider the characterization and determination of the composition of the synthesized nanocomposites. The reactions were carried out in methanol, chloroform and n-heptane solvents and monitored by Gas chromatography equipped with Flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and Gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectroscopy analyses. The GC analysis clearly demonstrated that maximum decomposition (100%) of CEPS took place on the surface of porous ZnO-25.99 wt% CdO nanocomposite catalyst in n-heptane solvent, after 6 h at room temperature (RT).