Organophosphonates have been used as simulants of highly toxic compounds such as chemical warfare agents in the study of the decomposition reactions that occur on the surface of hafnium dioxide. Metal oxide and metal-oxide nanoparticles have been shown to decompose organophosphonate molecules. In this study, high surface area hafnium oxide nanoparticles are synthesized via laser ablation. This creates nanoparticles that are free of contaminants and have a narrow size distribution. The particles are characterized by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to determine particle size and thin film morphology. Once characterized, they are exposed to dimethyl methylphosphonate and the surface reaction is analyzed by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy.