Electrostatic Field in Contact‐Electro‐Catalysis Driven C−F Bond Cleavage of Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent and toxic to human health. It is demanding for high‐efficient and green technologies to remove PFASs from water. In this study, a novel PFAS treatment technology was developed, utilizing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles (1–5 μm) as the catalyst and a low frequency ultrasound (US, 40 kHz, 0.3 W/cm2) for activation. Remarkably, this system can induce near‐complete defluorination for different structured PFASs. The underlying mechanism relies on contact electrification between PTFE and water, which induces cumulative electrons on PTFE surface, and creates a high surface voltage (tens of volts). Such high surface voltage can generate abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS, i.e., O2⋅−, HO⋅, etc.) and a strong interfacial electrostatic field (IEF of 109~1010 V/m). Consequently, the strong IEF significantly activates PFAS molecules and reduces the energy barrier of O2⋅− nucleophilic reaction. Simultaneously, the co‐existence of surface electrons (PTFE*(e−)) and HO⋅ enables synergetic reduction and oxidation of PFAS and its intermediates, leading to enhanced and thorough defluorination. The US/PTFE method shows compelling advantages of low energy consumption, zero chemical input, and few harmful intermediates. It offers a new and promising solution for effectively treating the PFAS‐contaminated drinking water. We developed a novel approach using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as the catalyst under low frequency ultrasound irradiation to degrade perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). A strong interfacial electrostatic field (IEF) on PTFE surface has shown great success in triggering C−F bond cleavage and achieving near‐complete defluorination. This catalytic mechanism brings new PFASs treatment technologies for sustainable demands.