Mechanistic Investigations of Thermal Decomposition of Perfluoroalkyl Ether Carboxylic Acids and Short-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylic Acids

Ali Alinezhad, Heng Shao, Katerina Litvanova, Runze Sun, Alena Kubatova, Wen Zhang, Yang Li, Feng Xiao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the thermal decomposition mechanisms of perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acids (PFECAs) and short-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) that have been manufactured as replacements for phased-out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). C-C, C-F, C-O, O-H, and C═C bond dissociation energies were calculated at the M06-2X/Def2-TZVP level of theory. The α-C and carboxyl-C bond dissociation energy of PFECAs declines with increasing chain length and the attachment of an electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl (-CF3) group to the α-C. Experimental and computational results show that the thermal transformation of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid to trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) occurs due to the preferential cleavage of the C-O ether bond close to the carboxyl group. This pathway produces precursors of perfluoropropionic acid (PFPeA) and TFA and is supplemented by a minor pathway (CF3CF2CF2OCFCF3COOH → CF3CF2CF2· + ·OCFCF3COOH) through which perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) is formed. The weakest C-C bond in PFPeA and PFBA is the one connecting the α-C and the β-C. The results support (1) the C-C scission in the perfluorinated backbone as an effective PFCA thermal decomposition mechanism and (2) the thermal recombination of radicals through which intermediates are formed. Additionally, we detected a few novel thermal decomposition products of studied PFAS.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)8796-8807
Number of pages12
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume57
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 13 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry

Keywords

  • GC-MS
  • PFAS
  • density functional theory
  • high-resolution mass spectrometry
  • spent media
  • thermal transformation

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