ERASE-PFAS: Electrocatalytic Hydrodefluorination of PFAS Using Molecular, Metal-Free Catalysts

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of thousands of compounds that have been widely used due to their extreme stability and ease of production. The atmospheric lifetime of PFAS can exceed 2000-years, and they have been widely detected in food, consumer products, drinking water, and living organisms. The toxicity, persistence, and widespread distribution of PFAS has created an urgent need for low cost and effective treatment technologies.

The objective of this research project is to address this need through the development of metal-free catalysts that degrade PFAS to non-toxic compounds. The catalysts will be modified to “fine tune” the physical and electrochemical properties to achieve optimal PFAS destruction. An advantage of this approach is that electricity drives the degradation reaction, removing the need for adding reducing chemicals.

Successful completion of this project will benefit society through the development of PFAS treatment technology. This project will engage students and the general public in research to promote understanding of chemistry for sustainability. The outcomes of these highly integrated research and education activities address long-standing environmental challenges.

They also will provide a rich platform for educating the next-generation STEM workforce, while increasing the scientific literacy of the general public.

Widespread contamination of water supplies with PFAS has created an urgent national need for effective and low cost PFAS treatment technology. The goal of this proposal is to address this need through a multi-stage research project to design, synthesize, and evaluate the catalytic mechanisms and performance of molecular, metal-free catalysts for electrocatalytic hydrodefluorination of PFAS.

This process uses outer functional spheres of molecular C-, H-, O-, and N-based catalysts to enable and enhance catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability. The knowledge generated from this research will be used to develop design principles for optimizing PFAS hydrodefluorination. Successful completion of this research holds great promise for the development of energy‐efficient and environmentally benign PFAS treatment technology.

Outreach activities will focus on educating K-12 students from underserved communities about how chemistry can promote sustainability and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM. An annual sustainability-themed day at the Cincinnati Museum Center will inform the public about how fundamental research leads to science and technology that enhances their daily lives.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.