Smart materials with switchable surface for effective removal of forever chemicals

Objective

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals”, are persistent and toxic pollutants widely detected in water, while conventional adsorbents struggle with low selectivity, poor short-chain PFAS removal, and energy-intensive regeneration. This project introduces a smart, temperature-responsive hydrogel platform that exploits the intrinsic hydrophobicity of long-chain PFAS and hydrophilicity of short-chain PFAS for their selective removal. Integration of photothermal materials will enable solar-driven, zero-energy switching without extra heating energy. Around the lower critical solution temperature (LCST, ~32 °C), the hydrogel surface has switchable characteristics: above LCST, the surface turns to hydrophobic to capture long-chain PFAS while releasing short-chain species; below LCST, the surface transforms to hydrophilic to adsorb short-chain PFAS and release long-chain ones. This principle allows selective and effective removal of both long- and short-chain PFAS. The introduction of fluorinated and cationic monomers could catch the fluorinated alkyl tail and the anionic head of PFAS via fluorophilic and electrostatic interactions , respectively, thereby enhancing the selective capture of PFAS by smart hydrogels. Machine learning will guide optimal monomer combinations, accelerate synthesis and optimize performance. Scalable formats (beads, membranes) will be validated in real-water continuous-flow tests with techno-economic analysis. By combining material science, computational modelling, environmental engineering, and sustainability assessment, this project will deliver a selective, regenerable, and cost-effective PFAS treatment technology, supporting EU Green Deal and Zero Pollution goals, and providing a transferable framework for the development of smart adsorbents targeting diverse pollutants.