Grantee Research Project Results
Cellulose-Metal Organic Frameworks Hybrid Adsorbent for PFAS Removal from Water
EPA Grant Number: SU840871Title: Cellulose-Metal Organic Frameworks Hybrid Adsorbent for PFAS Removal from Water
Investigators: Li, Mi
Institution: University of Tennessee -Knoxville
EPA Project Officer: Cunniff, Sydney
Phase: I
Project Period: January 1, 2024 through May 10, 2025
Project Amount: $75,000
RFA: 20th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet Request for Applications (RFA) (2023) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil/Water , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , PFAS Treatment , Urban Air Toxics
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment, causing threats to animals, human health, and the ecosystem. Therefore, tackling this urgent PFAS pollution issue is one of the most important actions in the US EPA’s strategic roadmap. Our project goal is to develop an innovative cellulose-metal organic frameworks (Cello-MOFs) hybrid adsorbent for a practical column removal process to mitigate PFAS-polluted aqueous environment. Traditional techniques for PFAS adsorptions (i.e., activated carbon and ion exchange resin) suffer from adsorption trade-offs among capacity, kinetics, and selectivity of PFAS with various molecular lengths. MOFs allows our designing of adsorbent with significantly improved selectivity and kinetics to both long- and short-chain PFAS compared with conventional sorbents. Additionally, sustainable cellulose can provide versatile templates (i.e., paper, membrane, aerogel, etc.) to the MOFs (fine powder with restricted limited processibility) for enhanced adsorption performance and processibility. The Cello-MOFs, therefore, creatively manipulates the synergistic features of cellulose and MOFs to afford an innovative adsorbent and practical PFAS removal technique to remediate aquatic pollution.
Objective:
Together we will achieve three objectives in this project— Obj. 1: Synthesize Cello-MOFs hybrid sorbents; Obj. 2: Achieve efficient long-chain and short-chain PFAS adsorption using Cello-MOFs; and Obj. 3: Demonstrate efficient aquatic PFAS removal using Cello-MOFs packed column.
Approach:
This project will develop innovative Cello-MOFs adsorbents by hybridizing (i) the chemical feasibility, sustainability, and processibility of nanocellulose and (ii) the high adsorption capacity and efficiency of MOFs. We have assembled an interdisciplinary team with students from Wood Science, Chemical Engineering, and Biological Chemistry majors. We will first synthesize Cello-MOFs using sulfonated nanocellulose for in-situ zirconium-based MOFs that possess high water stability and extremely high adsorption capacity toward both long- and short-chain PFAS. Then we will determine the adsorption capacity and kinetics of the Cello-MOF adsorbents. Lastly, we will build a column-set packed with Cello-MOFs to assess the PFAS removal for both spiked and real contaminated water.
Expected Results:
We anticipate that a sustainable and practical solution using highly effective Cello-MOF adsorbent and column testing will be developed and prototyped for removing PFAS from aquatic water. The team will participate in multiple outreach events in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) community, such as testing the PFAS in aqueous water on campus and disseminating their findings and data through conference presentations, journal articles, and patent. The technology developed will also lead to a transformation of PFAS fate due to the catalytic destruction capacity of MOFs. This project will improve decision-making, management practices, and technical methods to mitigate PFAS risks, safeguard public health, and protect the environment.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 7 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 1 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorobutanoic acid, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, nanocellulose, sulfonated cellulose, pollutant treatment, perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, perfluoroalkyl sulfonatesProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.