Catalyzed destructive adsorption of environmental toxins with nanocrystalline metal oxides. Fluoro-, chloro-, bromocarbons, sulfur, and organophosophorus compounds.

In the temperature range of 300-500 degrees C, solid nanocrystalline oxides react nearly stoichiometrically with numerous halocarbons, sulfur, and organophosphorus compounds. In some cases, the reaction efficiencies can be improved by the presence of a small amount of transition-metal oxide as catalyst; for example, Fe2O3 on CaO and mobile intermediate species such as FeCl3 or Fe(SO3)x are important in the catalytic process. Herein, a series of environmentally problematic compounds are discussed, including CCl4, COS, CS2, C2Cl4, CHCl3, CH2Cl2, CH3Cl, and (CH3O)2P(O)CH3.