Hydrolytically Stable Ionic Fluorogels for High-Performance Remediation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Natural Water.

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.

Ionic Fluorogels for Remediation of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances from Water.

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) contaminate groundwater, surface water, and finished drinking water internationally. Their ecological persistence and adverse human health effects demand effective remediation approaches. Motivated by the limitations in selectivity and performance of current PFAS removal technologies, we report a platform approach for the development of ionic fluorogel resins that effectively remove a chemically diverse mixture of PFAS from water.

C-H Functionalization of Commodity Polymers.

Synthetic manipulation of polymer substrates is one of the oldest and most reliable methods to increase the functional diversity of soft materials. Modifying the chemical structure of polymers that are already produced on a commodity scale leverages the current high-volume and low-cost production of commodity plastics for the discovery of modern materials. A myriad of polymer C-H functionalization methods have been developed which enable the modification of material properties on both a laboratory and industrial scale.