(179f) Synthesis of Rough Cationic Polymer Colloids for Interfacial PFAS Adsorption

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental pollutants, highly mobile, and non-degradable in aqueous systems, presenting several critical challenges in their removal from water. As anionic surface active species, fluid interfaces is a promising target for PFAS adsorption and removal. Therefore, we seek to engineer positively charged particles as Pickering emulsifiers to mitigate PFAS in wastewater. As a first step towards this goal, we discuss the synthesis of polystyrene colloids with controlled nanoscale surface roughness, particle shape, and cationic surface chemistry. We extend our recently developed seeded emulsion polymerization and acid-catalyzed hydrolysis protocol to develop anionic spherical and ellipsoidal colloids with convex and concave topography towards cationic particles with the same physical features. . To accomplish this, we explore different synthetic approaches for cationic polystyrene colloids, including chemical crosslinking and subsequent surface modification via quaternary ammonium groups. We characterize the particle surface chemistry via zeta potential and FTIR measurements, while SEM and AFM are used to characterize the particle size and topography, respectively. Future work will investigate the prospect of using these particles as a platform to bind anionic PFAS molecules at fluid interfaces by examining particle interfacial mechanics and emulsion stability.