Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128520
Document accepted manuscript
Title (Primary) What is specific in adsorption of perfluoroalkyl acids on carbon materials?
Author Saeidi, N.; Kopinke, F.-D.; Georgi, A.
Source Titel Chemosphere
Year 2021
Department TUCHEM
Volume 273
Page From art. 128520
Language englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Keywords PFOA; PFOS; PFBA; Octanoic acid; Activated carbon; Adsorption mechanism
Abstract Various activated carbon products show wide variability in adsorption performance towards perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and predictive tools are largely missing. In order to gain a better understanding on the adsorption mechanisms of PFAAs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was compared with its fluorine-free analogon octanoic acid (OCA) as well as phenanthrene (nonionic) in terms of their response towards changes in carbon surface chemistry. For this approach, a commercial activated carbon felt (ACF) with high content of acidic surface groups was modified by amino-functionalisation as well as thermal defunctionalisation in H2 (yielding DeCACF). While improvement by amino-functionalisation was moderate, defunctionalisation drastically enhanced adsorption of PFOA and other PFAAs. In comparison, OCA and phenanthrene were much less affected. Electrostatic interactions and charge compensation provided by positively charged surface sites (quantified by their anion exchange capacity) are obviously more crucial for PFAAs than for common organic acids (such as the tested OCA). A possible reason is their exceptionally strong acidity with pKa < 1. Nevertheless, at the best modified ACF material (DeCACF) the sorption coefficients (Kd) for PFOA and perfluorooctylsulfonic acid (PFOS) at environmentally relevant concentrations reach the range of 107 L/kg which is outstanding. DeCACF provides a surface with overall low polarity (low O-content), low density of acidic sites causing electrostatic repulsion, but nevertheless a sufficient density of charge-balancing sites for organic anions. The results of the present study contribute to an optimized selection of adsorbents for PFAA adsorption from water considering also various salt matrices and the presence of natural organic matter.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23837
Saeidi, N., Kopinke, F.-D., Georgi, A. (2021):
What is specific in adsorption of perfluoroalkyl acids on carbon materials?
Chemosphere 273 , art. 128520 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128520