Shining a light on the ‘forever’ in forever chemicals

The strength of the bond between carbon and fluorine can be both a positive and a negative—seemingly unbreakable but also the source of the “forever” in “forever chemicals,” the common name for the thousands of compounds that are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Instead of long-used methods of breaking or activating chemical bonds, CU Boulder chemist Niels Damrauer and his research colleagues have looked to light. In a study published in the journal Nature, the scientists detail an important finding in their ongoing research, showing how a light-driven catalyst can efficiently reduce carbon-fluorine bonds.

“What we’re really trying to do is figure out sustainable ways of making transformations,” Damrauer explained. “For example, you can break down PFAS at thousands of degrees, but that’s not sustainable. We’re using light to do this, a reagent that’s very abundant and that’s sustainable.”