Chemical degradation of trimethyl phosphate as surrogate for organo-phosporus pesticides on nanostructured metal oxides

Nanostructured TiO2 and mixed oxides of Ti and Fe, Hf, In, Mn or Zr -were prepared by homogeneous hydrolysis of aqueous solution of metal sulphates with urea. The oxides were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, particle size distribution, surface area and porosity. The oxide materials consists of a few nanometre primary crystals (mainly anatase) arranged in a few micrometre regular spherical agglomerates with specific surface area 133–511 m2 g−1. The FTIR diffuse spectroscopy was used for monitoring chemical degradation of trimethylphosphate (TMP) as a surrogate for organo-phosphorus pesticides under ambient and higher temperatures. Undoped TiO2 and Ti,Mn-mixed oxide were most active in cleavage (hydrolysis) of CH3O from TMP at room temperature and 100 °C. Cleavage of CH3O in the other studied mixed oxides was not complete until temperature exceeds the boiling point of TMP.