Patent ID: 7812211

Claim:
A method for decomposing a halogenated hydrocarbon or a mixture of halogenated hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: a) mixing the halogenated hydrocarbon or mixture of halogenated hydrocarbons with a deep eutectic solvent or mixture of deep eutectic solvents; wherein the deep eutectic solvent is a compound, having a freezing point of up to 100° C. formed by the reaction of at least one amine salt of the formula: R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 N + X − (I) with at least one organic compound (II) which is capable of forming a hydrogen bond with X 31 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each independently:- H, optionally substituted C 1 to C 5 alkyl, optionally substituted C 6 to C 10 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 6 to C 12 aryl optionally substituted C 7 to C 12 alkaryl, or wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together represent a C 4 to C 10 optionally substituted alkylene group, wherein the term “optionally substituted” means that the group in question may or may not be substituted with at one or more groups selected from OH, SH, SR 5 , Cl, Br, F, I, NH 2 , CN, NO 2 , COOR S , CHO, COR 5 and OR 5 , wherein R 5 is a C 1 to C 10 alkyl or cycloalkyl group; wherein the organic compound (II) is i) urea, acetamide, thiourea, glyoxylic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid dihydrate, trifluoroacetic acid, benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol, phenol p-methyl phenol, o-methyl phenol, m-methyl phenol, p-chloro phenol, D-fructose, or vanillin; ii) aniline or a substituted aniline, a C 1 -C 6 aliphatic acid, a C 1 -C 6 hydroxyaliphatic acid, or a dicarboxylic acid of the formula HOOC(CH 2 )nCOOH, wherein n is 0 or 1, acetamide, a phenol or a substituted phenol, an alkylene glycol, citric acid, ethylene glycol; wherein the molar ratio of I to II is from 1:1.5 to 1:2.5; b) maintaining the mixture of step a) at a temperature from 10° to 100° C.; and c) the electrochemical generation of the superoxide ion in the mixture by the reduction of oxygen in the mixture wherein the superoxide ion generated in situ will destroy the halogenated hydrocarbons.