Organophosphate (OP) pesticides and nerve agents are responsible for suicidal and accidental poisonings. The acute toxicity of nerve agents leads to progressive inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by phosphylation of serine residue at the active site of gorge. The recent massive destruction of Syrian civilians by nerve gas sarin, has again renewed the research attention of global science fraternity towards nerve agents, their mode of action and most prominently their therapeutic treatment. This review is principally focused on nerve agent intoxication. The common approach to deal with OP-intoxication is, application of antimuscarinic drug (atropine), anticonvulsant drug (diazepam) and clinically used oximes (pralidoxime, trimedoxime, obidoxime and asoxime). However, the existing therapeutic approach is arguable and has several failings to cure all kinds of nerve agent poisonings. Considering this issue, numerous oximes have been synthesized and screened through various in-vitro and in-vivo studies in last decade to overcome the downsides. At present, only a few oximes (bis pyridinum-oximes) exhibit sound efficacy against selective OPs. In spite of extensive efforts, till date no oxime is available as a universal antidote against all the classes of OPs. This review is centered on the recent developments and structural modification of AChE reactivators against nerve agent toxicity. In particular, a deeper look has been taken into chemical modifications of the reactivators by incorporation of different structural moieties targeted towards the increased reactivation affinity and improved blood brain barrier (BBB) penetration.

The enhancement of environmental quality is one of the key principles of sustainable agriculture, which points to less use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Green chemistry offers an array of innovative approaches to develop safe and efficient methods of chemical transformation toward nontoxic and readily biodegradable products under mild conditions. The development of new strategies for chemical decontamination of organophosphorus nerve agents and pesticides is an issue of immediate concern. Oximes have been demonstrated to find an application as functionalized organized molecular systems. In this study, kinetic investigations have been explored to estimate the nucleophilic efficiency of the oxime-functionalized pyridinium surfactants 3-hydroxyiminomethyl-1-alkylpyridinium bromide (alkyl = C n H2n+1, n = 10, 12, 14, 16) and 4-hydroxyiminomethyl-1-alkylpyridinium bromide (alkyl = C n H2n+1, n = 10, 12) for the hydrolysis of the pesticides paraoxon (NPDEP) and methyl paraoxon (NPDMP) in mixed micelles with the conventional cationic surfactants CPB, CTAB, and CDMEAB. Comprehensive study of the surface properties and acid–base equilibria of micellar systems composed of (i) functionalized surfactants and (ii) mixed functionalized/conventional cationic micelles has been carried out. The pK a of studied nucleophiles in the presence of surfactants has also been monitored. The effect of pH, the comicellar effect of other surfactants, and the effect of alkyl chain length of functionalized surfactants have been monitored on the observed rate constants of cleavage of the studied organophosphates.

Owing to the rising threats of neurotoxic organophosphosphorus compounds, facile and efficient decontamination systems are required. Since the last few decades, the search for promising α-nucleophiles for straightforward and eco-friendly decontamination reactions using α-nucleophiles has been considerably boosted up. Among these, hydroxamic acids have been widely studied due to their potential α-nucleophilicity towards carbon and phosphorus based esters. This account summarizes our research on α-nucleophilicity of hydroxamate ions in water and micelles towards esterolytic reactions. Efforts of our group in the last few years have been collectively judged and compared with the crucial findings of researchers in the relevant field. The present article sheds light on the rich chemistry of the hydroxamate ion as a perfect candidate to degrade organophosphorus esters (i.e. nerve agents, pesticides and their simulants) in water, in micelles of conventional surfactants, and in functionalized micelles. The current report also provides an insight into the possible nature and mechanisms of these reactions. A brief account of the biological activities of hydroxamic acids that have recently spurred research in medicine against some fatal diseases has been included.

Aggregation and kinetic studies have been performed to understand the hydrolytic potencies of the series of oxime-functionalized surfactants, viz., 3- hydroxyiminomethyl-1-alkylpyridinium bromide (alkyl = CnH2n+1, n = 10, 12, 14, 16, 18) in the cleavage of phosphate esters, p-nitrophenyl diphenyl phosphate (PNPDPP) and bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl) phosphate (BNDPP), in mixed micelles with cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB). Micellization and surface properties of mixed micelles functional surfactants with CPB were studied by conductivity and surface tension measurements. Acid dissociation constants (pKa) were determined, the effect of functional surfactant alkyl chain length and pH on the observed rate constant (kobs) for phosphate ester cleavage has been discussed, and the effect of substrate on the supernucleophilicities of the studied oximes was monitored. Functionalized oxime-based surfactants were proved to be supernucleophiles to attack on the P═O center of tri- and diphosphate esters. Oximes with hexadecyl alkyl chain length (3-C16) showed maximum micellar effect on the rate constants toward PNPDPP. Micellar effects were analyzed in terms of the pseudophase model.