Global warming is caused by emissions of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide and PFCs have a significant share in this development. The Institute of Organic Chemistry of the University of Heidelberg led by Prof. Dr. Michael Mastalerz has developed new materials that can be used to remove carbon-fluorine bonds. The porous crystals may be useful in recovering PFCs.
The hydrogen atoms of alkanes are partially or fully replaced by fluorine atoms in polyfluorinated carbons. The atoms are stable. They are mostly used for etching processes in the Semiconductor industry, in eye surgery, and in medical diagnostic procedures as contrast enhancers.
Prof. Mastalerz says that PFCs accumulate in the atmosphere and stay there for a long time before breaking down. The impact of one PFC molecule is equivalent to 5,000 to 10,000 CO 2 molecule. Polyfluorinated hydrocarbons are a permanent problem that is contributing to global warming now and is going to get worse in the future.
Prof. Mastalerz has developed a new type of material that can bind polyfluorinated hydrocarbons to its interior surface. The porous crystals are made from shape-persistent organic cage compounds that have fluorine side chains. The PFC molecules are deposited on the inner surface of the material thanks to the side chains.
In their experiments, the researchers found that the crystals they developed bind certain gases more strongly than dinitrogen. Prof. Mastalerz says these numbers represent high selectivities to bind PFCs.
Prof. Mastalerz and his team are trying to increase the selectivity of the crystals and transfer the process to other fluorinated gases, such as those used in medical anesthesia. There is enormous potential for development in this area. He wants the adsorbent to be used to recover polyfluorinated hydrocarbons.
The results were published in a journal.
More information: Ke Tian et al, Highly Selective Adsorption of Perfluorinated Greenhouse Gases by Porous Organic Cages, Advanced Materials (2022). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202202290 Journal information: Advanced Materials
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