Abstract
Experimental studies explore the adsorption and decomposition pathways of the nerve agent simulant, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), on Y2O3 nanoparticles with mean diameters of 6 and 2 nm. DMMP adsorption on Y2O3 was studied in an ultrahigh vacuum surface science instrument with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy. Uptake probability measurements reveal an initial sticking probability near unity, while vibrational spectroscopy indicates that adsorbed DMMP dissociates via cleavage of a P−OCH3 bond to form a bridging O−P−O surface species. The extent of DMMP decomposition is found to increase as the particle size decreases, suggesting that edge, corner, and defect sites play a major role in the outcome of the gas−surface interaction.
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