Copolymer Helps Remove Pervasive PFAS Toxins From Environment

Researchers have demonstrated that they can attract, capture and destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water using a tunable copolymer electrode. Using electrochemical reactions, engineers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign captured and destroyed PFAS present in water. The proof-of-concept study is the first to show that copolymers can drive electrochemical environmental applications, the researchers say. The results of the study were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.“Exposure to PFAS has gained intense attention recently due to their widespread occurrence in natural bodies of water, contaminated soil and drinking water,” says Xiao Su, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering who led