About the seminar:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic organofluorine compounds that persist in the environment due to the stability of the carbon–fluorine bond. Their widespread use in consumer products and industrial applications has led to extensive contamination of ground and surface water systems. Current treatment methods, such as membrane separation and microbial degradation, while cost effective, are often limited in their ability to achieve complete mineralization and often create more harmful intermediary products. Electrochemical degradation has emerged as a promising destruction-based strategy, with boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes showing high efficacy but limited by expense and byproduct concerns. In my research, I explore the potential of Magnéli phase titanium suboxide (Ti₄O₇) electrodes as a cost-effective, scalable, and efficient alternative for PFAS degradation. Using reactive electrochemical membranes and the EPA 1633 LC-MS/MS method, I evaluate Ti₄O₇ performance in synthetic waters and possible application to more complex wastewater matrices.