Air-water interfacial properties of perfluorosulfonic acid salts with different chain lengths

Abstract

Perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSA) are a class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been extensively used in numerous applications. The toxicity and bioaccumulation of PFAS have become a serious worldwide problem. Foam fractionation has been suggested as a promising remediation method for PFAS removal owing to the amphiphilic nature of most of the currently existing PFAS in the environment, allowing them to migrate to the air-water interface during the foaming process. Nevertheless, the current challenge for widespread utilization of foam fractionation is its low removal efficiency, especially for short-chain PFAS. Foam fractionation performance depends on the air-water interfacial properties as well as the ability for PFAS to adsorb at the air-water interface. In the present study, therefore, we investigate surface tensions of PFSA with long and short chain lengths. Different adsorption models are studied to estimate maximum surface excess concentrations for various PFSA. Our results indicate that long-chain PFSA have lower surface tensions, higher surface activities, and form more rigid air-water interfaces. This study marks the first investigation of dilatational interfacial rheology of PFAS, as well as addressing the gap in understanding PFAS interfacial rheology by focusing on the quantification the storage and loss interfacial moduli, which are known to play a significant role in the foaming process.