Amphiphilic Perfluoropolyether Copolymers for the Effective Removal of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Aqueous Environments
Xiao Tan, Jiexi Zhong, Changkui Fu, Huy Dang, Yanxiao Han, Petr Král, Jianhua Guo, Zhiguo Yuan, Hui Peng, Cheng Zhang, Andrew K. Whittaker
Abstract
Effective removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the environment has become a major focus of a number of research groups due to their high stability and persistence in the environment. In this study, we report a fundamental study of the removal of one of the most extensively produced PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), using amphiphilic perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-containing block copolymers as effective sorbents. The results demonstrate interactions between PFOA and the PFPE blocks and that the extent of sorption is higher for the block copolymer with the shorter poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)methyl ether acrylate) segments. High selectivity of sorption was further confirmed by the addition of 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum to phosphate-buffered saline. The presence of dissolved proteins and other biomolecules did not interfere with the removal of PFOA from solution. Overall, the results provide important design parameters and a potential platform for preparing efficient sorbents for treating PFAS samples at environmentally relevant concentrations.