Understanding carbon properties on the adsorption of C6-perfluoroalkyl substance

Abstract Removal technologies of fluorinated organic compounds have great attentions recently because the compounds are widely used in various industrial products and are persistent in the environment and animals. It is essential to clarify the relationship between the specific surface area and pore size of carbon adsorbent to enhance the adsorption capacity of fluorinated organic compounds. In this study, we found that the interlayer distance of carbon material is key to improve the adsorptive capacity of perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), but the specific surface area had little effect on PFHxS adsorption. Hydrophilicity of the carbon materials also affects the adsorption of PFHxS due to its better dispersion of carbon in aqueous solution.