New electrochemical pathways for environmental remediation and water purification

Innovations in separation technologies are critical to guarantee our supply-chain security, the availability of chemical and materials resources, and clean air and water at a global scale. Electrochemical separations can promote sustainability through plug-and-play modularity, and the elimination of secondary waste. Redox-electron transfer has been a powerful vehicle for enabling new electrochemical separations, by combining selectivity with reversibility.   

By “programming” redox-polymer structure, we can access precise control over binding and release towards target species, and even tap into supramolecular effects that amplify selectivity. First, we design redox-copolymers for the selective removal and concentration of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and nitrate. We demonstrate the removal and concentration of multicomponent PFAS, ranging from short-chain to long-chain from real world effluents. At the same time, we discuss the electrochemical engineering of the processes, with a focus on integrating reaction and separation into a single step. We apply this approach for the energy-efficient capture and destruction of PFAS, and the coupling of nitrate separations with ammonia reduction. Overall, we highlight the importance of integrating separation processes with catalysis, and the central role of electrochemistry in achieving these research goals.