Project Info
Removing flouro-based compounds from water over metal organic frameworks
Moises A. Carreon
mcarreon@mines.edu
Project Goals and Description:
Perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA, is a perfluorinated carboxylic acid that persists in our environment and has proven to result in adverse health effects in humans. Research has shown that high levels of exposure to PFOA may cause kidney cancer, problems to fetuses, liver damage, thyroid disease, and more. Therefore, to remove this harmful fluoride-based compound from water, we propose the use of zinc and cobalt-based metal organic frameworks. We hypothesize that PFOAs can be removed from water via size exclusion and selective adsorption on the surface of the metal organic frameworks, MOFs. These MOFs can be used as adsorbents in a solution of water and the perfluorooctanoic acid. X-Ray diffraction was employed to determine the crystalline structure of the synthesized MOFs , and to assess their structural stability after PFOA exposure. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy was utilized to determine the concentration of the PFOA over time. Our preliminary results suggest that MOFs are promising materials for PFOA removal.
More Information:
Grand Challenge: Provide access to clean water.
From Fundamentals to Applications: A Toolbox for Robust and Multifunctional MOF Materials, Angelo Kirchon, , Liang Feng, ,Hannah F. Drake, , Elizabeth A. Joseph, Hong-Cai Zhou, Chemical Society Reviews 2018, 47(23):8611-8638
Primary Contacts:
Moises A. Carreon (faculty advisor) mcarreon@mines.edu
Graduate student from Carreon group (TBD)
Student Preparation
Qualifications
Basic laboratory skills
TIME COMMITMENT (HRS/WK)
4 hours per week
SKILLS/TECHNIQUES GAINED
Fundamentals on metal organic frameworks, their synthesis, and characterization
MENTORING PLAN
Individual meeting every week, research progress reports, group meetings
PREFERRED STUDENT STATUS
Sophomore