ERASE-PFAS: Coupling electrified separation and reaction approaches for short-chain PFAS remediation in semiconductor manufacturing

全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）是一类人造化学品，由于其持久性、稳定性和对自然环境退化过程的抵抗力，通常被称为“永远的化学品”。在过去二十年中，PFAS越来越多地出现在地表水系统（例如湖泊和河流）和地下水含水层中，这些系统是美国许多社区的饮用水来源。虽然越来越多的管制措施已导致许多长链全氟辛烷磺酸等全氟辛烷磺酸被逐步淘汰，但短链全氟辛烷磺酸（例如具有六个或更少碳原子的全氟烷烃磺酸）正积极用作半导体工业等行业的替代品。在半导体制造中，短链PFAS化合物被用作各种单元工艺/应用中的功能材料，包括光刻胶、抗反射涂层、润湿剂、蚀刻剂和冷却剂。半导体晶圆厂产生大量的废水，其短链PFAS浓度从10-100 ppt（纳克/升）到20 ppm（毫克/升）不等。该项目的总体目标是设计、评估和优化一种集成的电吸附和电催化工艺，该工艺可以选择性地从半导体废水中提取和降解短链PFAS。该项目的成功完成将通过开发和实施更有效的技术来处理和修复受短链PFAS污染的工业废水和饮用水水源，从而造福社会。通过学生教育和培训，包括伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的两名研究生的指导，将为社会带来额外的好处。由于半导体废水流通常由复杂的高浊度混合物组成，其中含有悬浮固体（例如二氧化硅和铈纳米颗粒）、有毒金属离子（例如铜）和溶解的有机污染物（例如络合配体和表面活性剂），因此现有的商业技术（例如离子交换、颗粒活性炭吸附和反渗透）无法有效地从半导体废水中提取和破坏短链PFAS。该项目的一个主要目标是推进开发下一代集成电化学分离和反应系统所需的基础科学和工程知识，该系统可以选择性地捕获，释放和破坏污染水中的短链PFAS，重点是来自半导体工业的废水流。本研究的具体目标是：(1)设计、合成和表征具有高选择性的短链PFAS电活性聚合物吸附剂；(2)评价短链PFAS在气液和固液界面的反应性，为PFAS降解电化学反应器的设计提供依据；(3)评价等离子体和掺硼金刚石基电极耦合电吸附和电化学降解对短链PFAS的破坏作用。该项目的成功完成有可能通过产生新材料和基础知识来指导设计、开发和实施更有效的技术来处理和修复PFAS污染的废水，从而产生变革性影响。为了实现该项目的教育和推广目标，首席研究员（pi）建议利用伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校（UIUC）现有的项目，如科学与工程青年营，为K-12学生开发和提供教育活动，包括水净化和等离子工程研讨会。此外，pi还计划利用UIUC美林学者计划和伊利诺伊州本科生学者计划，从代表性不足的群体中招募和指导本科生参与项目研究活动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence, stability, and resistance to natural environmental degradation processes. During the last two decades, PFAS have been increasingly detected in surface water systems (e.g., lakes and rivers) and groundwater aquifers which serve as sources of drinking water for many communities throughout the United States. While increasing regulatory measures have led to many long-chain PFAS such perfluoro octane sulfonic acid (PFOS) being phased out, short-chain PFAS (e.g., perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids with six or fewer carbon atoms) are actively being used as alternatives in industries such as the semiconductor industry. In semiconductor manufacturing, short chain PFAS compounds are utilized as functional materials in various unit processes/applications including photoresists, antireflective coatings, wetting agents, etchants, and coolants. Semiconductor fabs generate significant amounts of wastewater with variable concentrations for short chain PFAS ranging from 10-100 ppt (nanograms/L) to 20 ppm (milligrams/L). The overarching goal of this project is to design, evaluate, and optimize an integrated electrosorption and electrocatalytic process that can selectively extract and degrade short chains PFAS from semiconductor wastewater. The successful completion of this project will benefit society through the development and implementation of more efficient technologies to treat and remediate industrial wastewater and drinking water sources contaminated by short chain PFAS. Additional benefits to society will be achieved through student education and training including the mentoring of two graduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Because semiconductor wastewater streams typically consist of complex and high turbidity mixtures that contain suspended solids (e.g., silica and cerium nanoparticles), toxic metal ions (e.g., copper) and dissolved organic pollutants (e.g., complexing ligands and surfactants), established and commercial technologies (e.g., ion exchange, sorption with granular activated carbon, and reverse osmosis) cannot effectively extract and destroy short chain PFAS from semiconductor wastewater. A major goal of this project is to advance the fundamental science and engineering knowledge required to develop the next-generation of integrated electrochemical separation and reaction systems that can selectively capture, release, and destroy short-chain PFAS in contaminated water with a focus on wastewater streams from the semiconductor industry. The specific objectives of the research are to (1) design, synthesize, and characterize electroactive polymer sorbents with high selectivity for short-chain PFAS; (2) evaluate the reactivity of short-chain PFAS at gas-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces to advance the design of electrochemical reactors for PFAS degradation; and (3) evaluate the destruction of short-chain PFAS via coupled electrosorption and electrochemical degradation using plasma and boron-doped, diamond-based electrodes. The successful completion of this project has the potential for transformative impact through the generation of new materials and fundamental knowledge to guide the design, development, and implementation of more efficient technologies to treat and remediate PFAS contaminated wastewater. To implement the educational and outreach goals of this project, the Principal Investigators (PIs) propose to leverage existing programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) such as the Youth in Science and Engineering camps to develop and deliver educational activities for K-12 students including workshops on both water purification and plasma engineering. In addition, the PIs also plan to leverage the UIUC Merrill Scholars Program and the Illinois Undergraduate Scholars Program to recruit and mentor undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to work on the project research activities.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.