Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging contaminants of concern as they are recalcitrant to chemical and biological degradation treatment due to strong carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds. Advances in nanoscale engineering and material science now allow for novel approaches for high capacity, tailored sorbent strategies, which utilize not only high surface area nanoparticles designed for targeted adsorption, but also for subsequent (magnetic) recovery. In this study, we applied surface functionalized metal oxide nanoparticles to effectively sorb/remove the perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in aqueous environments. We prepared metal oxide nanoparticles via thermal decomposition of iron oleate (Fe-oleate) and manganese oleate (Mn-oleate) with specific ratios to achieve precise particle size and composition(s) and then functionalized with a series of organic surfactants. Sorption isotherms for PFOS and PFOA were evaluated with respect to the particle core size, organic coating, core structure, and solution chemistry. Nanoparticles coated with positively charged organic coatings such as polyethyleneimine (PEI) showed high performance for both PFOA and PFOS sorption and thus removal. In addition, we applied quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) to assess the real-time sorption behaviors of PFASs on these nanoparticles, correlating results with batch test isotherms.

Sorption behavior of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) using on organic surface functionalized metal oxide nanoparticles

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.