Breaking the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Chain: Piezocatalytic Decomposition of PFOS Using BaTiO3 Nanoparticles
Andrea Veciana,
Sarah Steiner,
Qiao Tang,
Vitaly Pustovalov,
Joaquin Llacer‐Wintle,
Jiang Wu,
Xiang‐Zhong Chen,
Trust Manyiwa,
Venecio U. Ultra Jr.,
Beltzane Garcia‐Cirera,
Josep Puigmartí‐Luis,
Carlos Franco,
David J. Janssen,
Laura Nyström,
Samy Boulos,
Salvador Pané
Affiliations
Andrea Veciana
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Sarah Steiner
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Qiao Tang
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Vitaly Pustovalov
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Joaquin Llacer‐Wintle
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Jiang Wu
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Xiang‐Zhong Chen
Institute of Optoelectronics State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Intelligent Optoelectronics and Perception International Institute of Intelligent Nanorobots and Nanosystems Fudan University Shanghai 200433 P. R. China
Trust Manyiwa
Department of Earth & Environmental Science Faculty of Science Botswana International University of Science and Technology Plot 10071 Palapye Botswana
Venecio U. Ultra Jr.
Department of Earth & Environmental Science Faculty of Science Botswana International University of Science and Technology Plot 10071 Palapye Botswana
Beltzane Garcia‐Cirera
Departament de Ciència de Materials i Química Física Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional Universitat de Barcelona 08028 Barcelona Spain
Josep Puigmartí‐Luis
Departament de Ciència de Materials i Química Física Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional Universitat de Barcelona 08028 Barcelona Spain
Carlos Franco
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
David J. Janssen
Department Surface Waters Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology 6047 Kastanienbaum Switzerland
Laura Nyström
Department of Health Sciences and Technology Laboratory of Food Biochemistry ETH Zurich Schmelzbergstrasse 9 8092 Zürich Switzerland
Samy Boulos
Department of Health Sciences and Technology Laboratory of Food Biochemistry ETH Zurich Schmelzbergstrasse 9 8092 Zürich Switzerland
Salvador Pané
Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems ETH Zurich Tannenstrasse 3 CH 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose significant environmental and health risks due to their ubiquitous presence and persistence in water systems. Herein, the efficacy of piezocatalysis using barium titanate nanoparticles under ultrasound irradiation for the degradation and defluorination of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in water is investigated. The research demonstrates a substantial 90.5% degradation and 29% defluorination of PFOS after 6 h of treatment, highlighting the potential of piezocatalysis as a promising approach for PFAS degradation. Additionally, the quantification of degradation products elucidates the transformation pathways of PFOS, suggesting a stepwise chain‐shortening mechanism. The findings underscore the importance of continued research in optimizing piezocatalytic processes and exploring synergistic approaches with other advanced oxidation methods to effectively address PFAS contamination challenges. These efforts are essential for advancing sustainable water treatment strategies and mitigating the environmental and health hazards associated with PFAS contamination.
