Read the full article by Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (Phys.org)
“PFAS are fluorinated compounds found in many everyday products, such as outdoor clothing and cookware like Teflon pans. This is because PFAS are durable, heat-resistant and dirt-repellent. Their stability is precisely what leads to problems: although potentially harmful to our health, these substances are scarcely broken down at all in the environment and are regarded as ‘forever chemicals.’ PFAS are also found in wastewater. Although they can be removed by filtration, this is a laborious process.
A team led by the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) has now developed a new filter material based on an unusual production technique. Crucial experiments were carried out at DESY’s X-ray source PETRA III to optimize the process. The working group is presenting its results in the journal Small.
The candidates for this new filter material are known as ‘covalent organic frameworks.’ The pores of these COFs are just a few nanometers across, so that PFAS molecules literally get stuck inside them. The nanoscale scaffolds can be manufactured using an original technique—by grinding them in a special type of mill.” …