Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are hazardous chemicals that often contaminate water supplies and lack an efficient method for treatment and detection. This research aims to optimize polyacrylonitrile (PAN) mats for the adsorption of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) by combining the additives tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (TBAB), nonfunctionalized carbon nanotubes (nF CNT), carboxylic acid functionalized carbon nanotubes (F CNT), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The mats were synthesized via a single-pot electrospinning process, and the optimal mat for PFOA uptake was determined by comparing adsorption capacity and kinetics. The PAN/TBAB mat showed optimal PFOA adsorption (initial concentration of 100 ppb) of up to 30% after 1 hour, 50% after 2 hours, and almost complete (~100%) uptake after 48 hours. The results suggest that the electrostatic interaction between the anionic PFOA and cationic TBAB is key to PFOA adsorption and that PAN/TBAB mats are an excellent candidate to be used either for treatment of PFOA or as a means of PFOA concentration to facilitate easier methods of analysis and detection (e.g., passive sampling).

Functionalized electrospun polymer mats as sorbents for polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous solution

2019 Spring National Meeting

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