NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop a new material that removes a dangerous “forever chemical,” from drinking water

Abu Dhabi, December 4, 2024: Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have developed an innovative cationic covalent organic framework (COF) that efficiently detects and removes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a harmful and persistent pollutant, from drinking water. This breakthrough addresses a global challenge of removing perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals”, which raised environmental and health concerns due to their accumulation in water and links to severe health risks, including cancer and developmental issues. 

The synthesized COF material developed at NYUAD Trabolsi Research Group is capable of detecting and removing PFAS from water quickly and efficiently at environmentally relevant concentrations, offering a promising solution beyond traditional treatment methods that struggle to remove PFAS. This material could be incorporated into household water filters, boosting the performance of conventional materials, which allows for practical and scalable applications worldwide.

The findings are published in Nature Communications in a study entitled Cationic Covalent Organic Framework for the Fluorescent Sensing and Cooperative Adsorption of Perfluorooctanoic Acid. Through a simple sonochemical method, the researchers developed a COF that optimized both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions and had an abundance of adsorption sites to maximize interactions with PFAS molecules. This allowed the COFs to detect and remove PFOA within seconds, even at environmentally relevant concentrations. The researchers then investigated the mechanisms underlying both detection and rapid removal through computer simulations, providing insights into its interactions at the atomic level and serving as a valuable guide for further research in this field.

“This breakthrough, offering a faster, more efficient solution than existing technologies, has the potential to transform water purification and greatly improve water quality around the world,” said Ali Trabolsi, NYUAD professor of chemistry and Co-PI at the NYUAD Water Research Center who led this work with his team, including Postdoctoral Research Associate Asmaa Jrad and Research Associate Gobinda Das. “With the prevalence of ‘forever chemicals’ in our environment and bloodstreams posing a significant danger to human health, this new technology is both timely and essential.”

In recognition of the impact of this research, Jrad was named a 2023 MIT Innovator Under 35, highlighting the innovation's significance. The team hopes this project will raise awareness of PFAS risks in the UAE and globally, advocating for increased PFAS monitoring and safety standards.

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NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 30 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.