The surface products of the decomposition of simple chlorofluorocarbons over solid oxides and aluminosilicates were investigated by several research groups applying various instrumental analytical methods and reported in several hundreds of papers. The reactions were assumed to be catalytic by some and stoichiometric by others. Since the product distributions in air, nitrogen, oxygen or hydrogen were different, various surface intermediates were assumed. Dismutation reactions leading to products with redistributed fluorine and chlorine atoms in the molecules are probably taking place mainly on metal fluoride type catalysts. Over oxides of acidic character such as zeolites a peculiar phenomenon, the Fermi resonance has been observed by IR spectroscopy. It was observed in various steps of the reaction, such as the adsorption of reactant, the surface transformation, two reactants conversion on the surface and the reaction of halogenated compound with the catalyst. As far as the nature of oxide was concerned it was found that silica was inert to the interaction Of COCl2, CCl4, CCl2F2 and other CFCs. Alumina and zeolites reacted readily with these compounds, even at around ambient temperature. COCl2 and CO2 plus HCl were identified as the main intermediates and final reaction products. The extents of the reactions occurring were found to be correlated with the amount of tetrahedral Al in the solid oxide. The reaction paths assumed for the transformations are also discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.