Merits, limitations and innovation priorities for heterogeneous catalytic platforms to destroy PFAS

Heterogeneous catalysis has the potential to efficiently and sustainably mineralize per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with low material and energy inputs. However, the implementation of catalytic technologies is hindered by the large variety of PFAS compounds requiring treatment, a limited understanding of catalytic PFAS-degradation mechanisms and pathways, poor catalytic process selectivity towards PFAS over other water constituents, and a lack of appropriate methods to compare catalytic treatment options. Here we recommend strategies to overcome these challenges, including pretreating complex PFAS mixtures to simplify the design space of catalytic treatments, engineering catalytic systems and catalyst surfaces for selectivity, and developing holistic figures of merit that consider defluorination efficiencies and life-cycle costs to push forward the research, development and deployment of catalytic technologies for PFAS mineralization. Research needs to realize these designs and include a better understanding of the reaction mechanisms, catalyst surface engineering and treatment process design. This Perspective proposes strategies to develop and implement heterogeneous catalytic technologies for efficient PFAS mineralization.