Hydrolytically Stable Ionic Fluorogels for High‐Performance Remediation of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Natural Water
Abstract
PFAS are known bioaccumulative and persistent chemicals which pollute natural waters globally. There exists a lack of granular sorbents to efficiently remove both legacy and emerging PFAS at environmentally relevant concentrations. Herein, we report a class of polymer networks with a synergistic combination of ionic and fluorous components that serve as granular materials for the removal of anionic PFAS from water. A library of Ionic Fluorogels (IFs) with systematic variation in charge density and polymer network architecture was synthesized from hydrolytically stable fluorous building blocks. The IFs were demonstrated as effective sorbents for the removal of 21 legacy and emerging PFAS from a natural water and were regenerable over multiple cycles of reuse. Comparison of one IF to a commercial ion exchange resin in mini‐rapid small‐scale column tests demonstrated superior performance for the removal of short‐chain PFAS from natural water under operationally relevant conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Sep 02, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1002/ange.202208150
Entities
People
- Frank Leibfarth
- Haley P. Macdonald
- Irene M Manning
- Kelsey E. Miller
- Mark J. Strynar
- Nick Guan Pin Chew
- Orlando Coronell
Organizations
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
- Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill