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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have garnered attention as a pressing environmental issue due to their enduring presence and suspected adverse health effects. This study assessed the rejection or removal ef- ficacy of PFAS by commercial reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes and examined the im- pacts of surfactants, ion valency and solution temperature that are inadequately explored. The results reveal that the presence of cationic surfactants such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) increased the rejection of two selected PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), by binding with negatively charged PFAS and preventing them from passing through membrane pores via size exclusion, whereas the presence of anionic surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) increased the PFAS rejection because the increased electrostatic repulsion prevented PFAS from approaching and adsorbing onto the mem- brane surface. Moreover, aqueous ions (e.g., Al³⁺ and PO³−) with higher ion valency enabled higher rejection of PFOA and PFBA through increased effective molecular size and increased electronegativity. Finally, only high solution temperature at 45 ◦C significantly reduced PFAS rejection efficiency because of the thermally expanded membrane pores and thus the increased leakage of PFAS. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the various factors impacting PFAS rejection in commercial RO and NF processes. These findings are crucial for developing efficient PFAS removal methods and optimizing existing treatment systems, thereby contributing significantly to the ongoing efforts to combat PFAS contamination.
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This content will become publicly available on April 22, 2026
Manipulating Intrapore Energy Barriers in Graphene Oxide Nanochannels for Targeted Removal of Short-Chain PFAS
Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water has become a research topic of interest in recent times. However, it is very challenging to remove short-chain (
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- Award ID(s):
- 2306042
- PAR ID:
- 10628235
- Editor(s):
- Chen, X
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Chemical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ACS Nano
- Edition / Version:
- 1
- Volume:
- 19
- Issue:
- 15
- ISSN:
- 1936-0851
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 14742 to 14755
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- β-cyclodextrin short-chain PFAS graphene oxide membrane nanofiltration asymmetrical nanochannels energy barriersl host−guest complexation
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: 5.3MB Other: PDF
- Size(s):
- 5.3MB
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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