A POLYMERIC AMINE COPPER(II) COMPLEX AS CATALYST FOR THE HYDROLYSIS OF 1,2,2-TRIMETHYLPROPYL METHYLPHOSPHONOFLUORIDATE (SOMAN) AND BIS(1-METHYLETHYL)PHOSPHOROFLUORIDATE (DFP)

The Cu(II) complex of poly-4-vinylpyridine, quaternized with 19 mol % ethyl bromide and 36 mol % 4-chloromethyl-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine, was examined as a catalyst for the hydrolysis of the toxic organophosphorous compounds bis (1-methylethyl) phosphorofluoridate (1, DFP) and 1,2,2-trimethylpropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (2, soman). Studies were carried out at 25.0 and 37.0-degrees-C for both substrates in MOPS buffer at pH 7.0. In the presence of 7.31 X 10(-3) M catalyst at 25.0-degrees-C, soman is hydrolyzed with a first-order rate constant of 0.019 min-1 (t1/2 = 37.5 min), whereas DFP hydrolyzes with a rate constant of 0.011 min-1 (t1/2 = 63.8 min). For soman, this represents a 14-fold increase over the uncatalyzed rate in the same buffer. Other studies examined the effect of a strongly sorptive polymeric resin on catalysis by this copper-containing polymer and found a dramatic de-crease in the hydrolysis rate of soman in the presence of the polymeric sorbent.