Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of fluorinated compounds that are widely used as surfactants in the production of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (Teflon), water and stain repellant coatings, and fire retardants. Recently, PFAS contamination of water supplies has generated significant concern, as these substances are known to adversely affect human health, including posing risks to the immune, metabolic, and endocrine systems. Conventional technologies to remove contaminants from water, including activated carbon and ion-exchange resins, have proven inadequate for sorption of the diverse class of PFAS. The primary challenge for developing a sorbent to remediate PFAS from water is that non-fluorinated organic contaminants are present in ground and surface waters at three to six orders of magnitude higher concentration than PFAS, causing saturation of typical resins. In this lecture, I will detail our group’s efforts toward the realization of high capacity sorbents selective for PFAS in complex water matrices. The Ionic Fluorogels we have developed outperform commercial sorbents in terms of equilibrium PFAS absorption, PFAS capacity, and kinetics of PFAS absorption. Key structure–property relationships will be outlined that enable the remediation of both legacy and emerging PFAS from North Carolina water supplies to below the EPA health advisory limit.

Ionic fluorogels as for PFAS remediation from water

ACS Spring 2022

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