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

全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）是一个由数千种化合物组成的家族，由于其极高的稳定性和易于生产而被广泛使用。PFAS在大气中的寿命可超过2000年，它们已被广泛检测到存在于食品、消费品、饮用水和生物体中。PFAS的毒性、持久性和广泛分布使人们迫切需要低成本和有效的处理技术。该研究项目的目标是通过开发无金属催化剂来解决这一需求，该催化剂可将PFAS降解为无毒化合物。催化剂将被修改，以“微调”的物理和电化学性能，以实现最佳的PFAS破坏。这种方法的一个优点是电力驱动降解反应，消除了添加还原化学品的需要。该项目的成功完成将通过PFAS处理技术的发展造福社会。该项目将使学生和公众参与研究，以促进对化学可持续性的理解。这些高度综合的研究和教育活动的成果解决了长期存在的环境挑战。它们还将为教育下一代STEM劳动力提供一个丰富的平台，同时提高公众的科学素养。PFAS对供水的广泛污染导致全国迫切需要有效且低成本的PFAS处理技术。该提案的目标是通过多阶段研究项目来解决这一需求，以设计，合成和评估分子，无金属催化剂的催化机理和性能，用于PFAS的电催化加氢脱硫。该方法使用分子C-、H-、O-和N-基催化剂的外部功能球，以实现和增强催化活性、选择性和稳定性。从这项研究中产生的知识将被用来开发优化PFAS加氢脱硫的设计原则。这项研究的成功完成为开发节能和环保的PFAS处理技术带来了巨大的希望。外联活动将侧重于教育来自服务不足社区的K-12学生了解化学如何促进可持续发展，并鼓励他们从事STEM职业。在辛辛那提博物馆中心举办的年度可持续发展主题日将向公众介绍基础研究如何导致科学和技术改善他们的日常生活。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.