Researchers in Japan say they have found a way to break down so-called forever chemicals at room temperature using visible light.
You may not be familiar with Ritsumeikan in Kyoto, Japan, but researchers there say they may have an answer to the curse of so-called “forever chemicals,” also known at PFAS, the class of chemicals used in many commercial applications that are so durable that they resist breaking down for decades, or longer. That might not be a problem were it not for the fact that they have been identified as risk factors that contribute to a variety of human health concerns such as cancer.
However, this very stability has become a major problem. These forever chemicals do not easily break down in the environment, so they accumulation in water, soil, and even the bodies of humans, where they are known to cause carcinogenic effects and hormonal disruptions. Today, these forever chemicals can be found in drinking water supplies, food, and even in the soil of Antarctica.
To prevent photoexcited electrons from recombining with holes, TEOA is added to capture the holes and prolong the lifetime of the reactive electrons available for PFAS decomposition. These electrons undergo an Auger recombination process, where one exciton recombines non-radiatively, transferring its energy to another electron, and creating highly excited electrons.
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