Multicomponent PFCAs Capture, Detection, Differentiation, and Aqueous-Phase Removal with Adaptive Luminescent Organic Cages

Abstract

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent, nonbiodegradable pollutants that accumulate in water, posing threats to human health and aqueous ecosystems. There is currently a need for technologies capable of both multicomponent detection and removal of PFAS from contaminated sources. Here, we show that two low-cost, easy-to-prepare fluorescent porous organic cages remove efficiently trace amounts of a representative perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), with pseudo-second-order rate constants (kobs) as high as (1.273 ± 0.001) × 104 g mg-1 h-1, while reducing PFOA levels from 1500 ppt to as low as 3.49 ± 0.21 ppt. By integrating these cages into a high-throughput sensor array and using substrate-selective fluorescence response "fingerprints" for precise discrimination, accurate differentiation of PFCAs (C4-C10) with varying carbon chain lengths can also be achieved. This dual-function approach, involving both multicomponent PFAS detection and efficient removal, provides a new and easy-to-implement approach to the environmental monitoring and remediation of PFAS.