Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are serious pollutants because of their recalcitrant, persistent, and ubiquitous characteristic in environments. Conventional adsorbents (e.g., activated carbon, ion exchange resin) used for PFAS removal are typically limited to either long- or short-chain PFAS, and they suffer from inherent mass transfer limitations of packed-bed reactors. Hereby, we discuss the synthesis and testing of a triblock copolymer membrane that effectively adsorbed PFAS from water with a high binding constant. Removal occurred via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions from the positively charged quaternary group and polymer backbone, respectively. We further show the effect of pH and ionic strength on the sorption performance. With regards to sorption kinetics, the nanostructuring of the membrane allowed for short diffusive lengths and thus fast mass transfer through the membrane pores, ultimately improving the overall rate of capture. We finally discuss enhancements that can be made to increase the reactivity and the potential for scale-up.

Nanostructured copolymer adsorbent membrane for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

ACS Spring 2022

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