Designing perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) electrochemical sensing strategies using fluorinated self-assembled monolayers and molecularly imprinted polymers.

Abstract

Sensing strategies for perfluoroalkyls substances (PFAS) screening in water samples are urgently required due the fast development of this class of contaminants. The development of sensitive, robust and reliable sensing platforms is needed to carry out decentralised large-scale monitoring plans. To this aim, a screening of electrochemical sensing strategies using fluorinated self-assembled monolayers and molecularly imprinted polymers was carried out based on previous studies. Firstly, the interactions of short and long chain PFAS with self-assembled monolayers (SAM) were investigated. Changes in the SAM structures upon exposure to PFAS were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and voltammetric techniques. Secondly, the performance of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) electrochemical sensor for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was tested on water real samples and the design of the sensing strategy was further modified to achieve portability. The strategies screened were critically compared considering PFAS water pollution issue in its complexity.