Goethe University chemists have developed a new catalyst capable of cleaving the C-F bonds that lead to PFAS molecules stability and environmental persistence. Given their environmental persistence, and that many of the 4,700 known PFAS molecules are suspected to be carcinogenic or have other negative health effects, the cleaving method could provide a much needed improvement to current remediation efforts.
Published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the catalyst provides rapid, effective cleaving of C-F bonds at room temperature. At the heard of the new catalyst lies a pair of boron atoms embedded in a carbon framework to improve air and moisture resistance, a rare yet practical property for boron compounds.
"To break C–F bonds, we need electrons, which our catalyst transfers with exceptional efficiency," said Christoph Buch, a doctoral researcher at Goethe University's Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry. "So far, we've been using alkali metals like lithium as the electron source, but we're already working on switching to electrical current instead. That would make the process both much simpler and more efficient."
Beyond its intended use for PFAS degradation, the team foresees additional applications for the catalyst. "Many pharmacologically important substances contain fluorine atoms to increase their physiological stability and enhance their effect. Fluorine atoms can also improve drug uptake. With this catalyst, we now have a tool that allows us to precisely control the degree of fluorination in such compounds," concluded Professor Matthias Wagner at Goethe University's Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry.