Rice University researchers and international collaborators developed a copper-and-aluminum material designed to capture and break down PFAS, the persistent chemicals often called “forever chemicals.” The team reported that one formulation captured PFAS at more than 1,000 times the efficiency of other materials tested in their work.
PFAS cleanup is difficult because conventional methods can be slow and create additional waste. The Rice approach is still a research-stage technology, but a material that can capture and destroy pollutants rather than simply move them somewhere else could make future water treatment more effective.