Fluoropolymer sorbent for efficient and selective capturing of per- and polyfluorinated compounds
By Zhuojing Yang, Yutong Zhu, Xiao Tan, Samruddhi Jayendra Jayendra Gunjal, Pradeep Dewapriya, Yiqing Wang, Ruijing Xin, Changkui Fu, Kehan Liu, Katie Macintosh, Lee G Sprague, Lam Leung, Timothy E Hopkins, Kevin V Thomas, Jianhua Guo, Andrew K Whittaker, and Cheng Zhang
Nat Commun
September 27, 2024
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52690-y
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have gained widespread attention due to their adverse effects on health and environment. Developing efficient technology to capture PFAS from contaminated sources remains a great challenge. In this study, we introduce a type of reusable polymeric sorbent (PFPE-IEX + ) for rapid, efficient, and selective removal of multiple PFAS impurities from various contaminated water sources. The resin achieves >98% removal efficiency ([PFPE-IEX + ] = 0.5-5 mg mL, [PFAS] = 1-10 ppb in potable water and landfill leachate) and >500 mg g sorption capacity for the 11 types of examined PFAS. We achieve efficient PFAS removal without breakthrough and subsequent resin regeneration and demonstrate good PFAS recovery in a proof-of-concept cartridge setup. The outcomes of this study offer valuable guidance to the design of platforms for efficient and selective PFAS capture from contaminated water, such as drinking water and landfill leachate.
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