Synthesis of functionalized materials for the removal of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water

Per和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）自20世纪40年代末以来一直在生产，它们在饮用水中的存在（通常是地方性的，并与制造商、垃圾填埋场、污水处理厂、消防员培训设施等特定设施有关）多年来一直引起人们的关注。PFAS对人体有毒，并会导致多种健康问题，包括癌症、对免疫系统的影响以及肝脏和肾脏疾病。因此，迫切需要开发高效、低成本地去除这些有害物质的方法。这个联合的学术-工业项目旨在设计、合成、测试和部署新的吸附材料，以去除污染水中的PFAS。该项目将专注于一个迭代过程，以合成对PFAS具有高亲和力的固体支撑化学受体，然后测试它们在流动系统中的性能。最终目标是提供一种具有成本效益和高效的水修复材料。

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been manufactured since the late 1940s and their presence in drinking water (typically localized and associated with a specific facility such as manufacturer, landfill, wastewater treatment plant, firefighter training facilities) has been a cause for concern for many years. PFAS are toxic to humans and are responsible for several health issues including cancer, effects on the immune system, and liver and kidney diseases. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop methods to remove, efficiently and at low cost, these harmful substances. This joint academia-industry project aims to design, synthesise, test and deploy new adsorbent materials to remove PFAS from contaminated water. The project will focus on an iterative process to synthesise solid-supported chemical receptors with high affinity for PFAS followed by testing their performance in flow systems. The ultimate aim is to deliver a cost effective and efficient material for water remediation.