Research led by Michael S. Wong, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice University, is offering a new materials-based approach to one of water engineering’s most persistent problems: the removal and destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. These compounds, engineered for extreme durability, have proven difficult to eliminate once released into water systems, prompting growing concern among regulators, utilities, and environmental engineers worldwide.
Kim, K., Chung, Y., Kenyon, P., Tran, T. N., Rees, N. H., Choi, S., Huang, X., Choi, J. H., Scotland, P., Kim, S., Ateia, M., Lee, D., Tour, J. M., Alvarez, P. J. J., Wong, M. S., & Kang, S. (2025). Regenerable Water Remediation Platform for Ultrafast Capture and Mineralization of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Advanced Materials. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202509842
PFAS have been used for decades in industrial and consumer applications due to their resistance to heat, grease, and chemical degradation. That same resistance, however, allows them to persist in groundwater, rivers, and drinking water supplies. Traditional remediation strategies rely largely on adsorption, using activated carbon or ion-exchange resins to capture PFAS molecules. While effective to a degree, these methods are often slow, have limited capacity, and generate secondary waste that must be managed through disposal or incineration.
Michael S. Wong, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice University stated,
“Current methods for PFAS removal are too slow, inefficient, and create secondary waste. Our new approach offers a sustainable and highly effective alternative.”
The Rice University team, working in collaboration with researchers from KAIST and Pukyung National University, has developed a copper aluminum layered double hydroxide material designed to address both removal and end-of-life treatment. Layered double hydroxides are inorganic materials with stacked, positively charged layers separated by exchangeable anions. In this case, the structure creates strong interactions with negatively charged PFAS molecules, allowing for rapid and high-capacity adsorption.
Laboratory tests showed that the material captured PFAS significantly faster than conventional carbon-based filters, with removal occurring within minutes rather than hours. Importantly for engineering applications, performance remained strong across a range of water types, including river water, treated wastewater, and tap water. The material also functioned effectively in continuous-flow systems, an essential requirement for integration into municipal and industrial treatment processes.
Capturing PFAS is only part of the challenge. Concentrated PFAS streams remain hazardous unless the compounds are permanently destroyed. To address this, the research team explored a thermal treatment method in which PFAS-loaded material is heated in the presence of calcium carbonate. This process enabled partial mineralization of the fluorinated compounds while avoiding the release of volatile toxic by-products. After treatment, the layered material retained its structural integrity and adsorption capability.
Early regeneration tests demonstrated that the material could undergo multiple cycles of capture, thermal decomposition, and reuse with minimal loss of performance. From an engineering perspective, this regenerability is critical. It reduces material consumption, lowers operating costs, and limits waste generation over the lifetime of a treatment system.
While the work remains at a developmental stage, the results suggest a viable framework for addressing PFAS contamination as a closed-loop problem rather than a one-step filtration task. Scaling production of the material, optimizing regeneration conditions, and validating long-term durability under field conditions will be necessary before deployment. However, the underlying concept aligns with current efforts to move water treatment technologies toward more sustainable and circular designs.
As regulatory limits for PFAS continue to tighten, particularly in drinking water, engineering solutions that combine speed, efficiency, and reuse are likely to gain attention. The layered double hydroxide system developed by Wong and his collaborators provides a materials engineering pathway that integrates removal and destruction, offering a potential alternative to treatment approaches that merely relocate contamination rather than resolve it.
Adrian graduated with a Masters Degree (1st Class Honours) in Chemical Engineering from Chester University along with Harris. His master’s research aimed to develop a standardadised clean water oxygenation transfer procedure to test bubble diffusers that are currently used in the wastewater industry commercial market. He has also undergone placments in both US and China primarely focused within the R&D department and is an associate member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
