Imperial researchers are creating value from the destruction of “forever chemicals” and greenhouse gases

A new low-energy chemical recycling method breaks down polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other fluorochemicals, upcycling the recovered fluorine into valuable building blocks for medicines, battery materials and refrigerants.

Researchers have developed a simple, patented transformation that operates at far lower temperatures than conventional destruction technologies, offering a practical route to manage persistent fluorinated pollutants while creating new economic value. In laboratory studies, the method produced ten different classes of compounds, with more than 35 individual examples, including building blocks for active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Published today in Nature Chemistry, the study was led by Professor Mark Crimmin, Director of Research for the Department of Chemistry and Professor of Organometallic Chemistry, with funding from the European Research Council and UK Research and Innovation. 

Fluorochemicals are ubiquitous in our lives

The fluorochemical industry is valued at £20-30 billion with applications in pharmaceuticals, refrigeration, batteries and energy storage, and defence. Millions of tonnes of these chemicals are produced annually, but with negligible recycling currently in place, these persistent chemicals contaminate our air, soil and water. With some PFAS contributing to climate change with high global warming potentials (GWP) hundreds of times higher than CO2, and others causing detrimental health effects such as reproductive illnesses, thyroid disease, kidney disease and some cancers.

Waste valorisation rather than simple destruction

To combat this problem, the latest study breaks down these PFAS molecules and aims to avoid their negative environmental and health impacts. This simple, transformation works at much lower temperatures than current destruction methods like high temperature incineration which typically operate at 1100 °C. However, the study goes a step further by offering a method to transfer the valuable fluorine content onto other molecules of interest, producing other valuable non-PFAS fluorochemicals.

Creating a circular economy for fluorochemical production

Currently, all fluorochemicals are made from a finite critical mineral called Fluorspar. This process requires the production of highly toxic and corrosive intermediate hydrofluoric acid (HF). This study offers a more sustainable alternative, breaking the linear value chain, offering a circular fluorine economy and reducing the reliance on critical mineral mining.

Dr Sarah Brock, co-author on the publication and future co-founder of FluoroCycle, is currently coordinating the translational aspects of the team’s fluorine recycling projects and is very excited to see this work published: “It has been a collaborative effort and multiple years in the making”.

Currently engaged with Imperial Enterprise Lab’s WE Innovate, Innovate UK ICURe, and Conception X Venture Scientist programme, the FluoroCycle team are actively exploring the translational of this research to real-life waste streams.

Read the full paper here.