Light-driven catalyst can break down PFAS forever chemicals

Good news!

Remember so called "forever chemicals" is mostly alarmism, hysteria, and demagoguery! Unfortunately, too many scientists engage in this nonsense too!

Alert: Plastophobia is a serious disorder. Please seek immediate medical help! (Caution: satire)

What about all the benefits of plastics in our lives? What are the possible substitutes (how healthy are the substitutes)?

"But their ongoing impact on health issues in humans and other animals is being uncovered. Some PFAS are carcinogenic. The new research ... describes how a material can use light to catalyse a reaction which breaks down a range of pollutants in water including PFAS. This kind of approach has previously shown promise in breaking down PFAS. ..."

"... The process involves the use of a class of materials known as covalent organic frameworks, or COFs, whose porous structure ⎯ and hence high surface area ⎯ make them useful in light-driven, or photocatalytic, reactions. When they interact with light, some of the electrons in COF molecules get displaced, forming holes, and this bifurcation of charges is what makes COFs good photocatalysts. ..."

From the abstract:

"Nature-inspired photocatalysis provides a sustainable solution for energy conversion and pollutant degradation. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), with tunable properties and high porosity, have shown promise as photocatalysts, though their synthesis often requires extensive efforts. In this study, we report the in-situ growth of COFs on defective hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) surfaces to form hBN@1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp)-4,4′-diamino-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3,3′-dicarbonitrile (DBCN) heterostructures. Bandgap analysis and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the formation of type-II heterojunctions, enhancing charge separation and minimizing recombination. Density functional theory simulations confirmed efficient charge transfer at the COF-hBN interface. The hBN@Tp-DBCN heterostructures demonstrated remarkable versatility, achieving nearly complete degradation of dyes, pharmaceutical waste, and persistent compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid [PFAS]. Practical implementation in vertical and horizontal configurations further validated their application potential. This research underscores the efficacy of hBN@COFs heterostructures in photocatalysis and offers a promising direction for metal-free heterostructures in artificial photosynthesis and water treatment."

Light-driven catalyst can break down PFAS forever chemicals | News | ConnectSci

Engineered material uses light to destroy PFAS, other contaminants (original news release)

Covalent organic framework/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructure photocatalysts for efficient degradation of emerging contaminants (no public access)

Graphical abstract