Å·ÃÀAV

PFAS are materials often called ‘forever chemicals’ because they are extremely resistant to degradation in the environment. Instead of simply destroying these materials through high‑temperature incineration, the Fluorine Circularity Team's approach converts them into useful fluorinating reagents that can be reused to synthesise valuable fluorochemicals.

Using mechanochemical and room‑temperature technologies, they have demonstrated that waste fluoropolymers such as PTFE and PVDF can be transformed into fluoride sources, including KF and NaF, under much milder and safer conditions than conventional methods. These recovered fluorine resources were then directly reused to create new fluorinated molecules important for pharmaceuticals, electronics and advanced materials.

This work introduces the concept of ‘fluorine circularity’, in which fluorine atoms are not discarded as waste but continuously recycled and reused. The approach could help reduce dependence on natural fluorspar mining and hazardous hydrogen fluoride (HF)-based fluorination processes, while also contributing to solutions for global PFAS and fluoropolymer waste problems.

Beyond the scientific advances, the work demonstrates how sustainable chemistry can transform environmentally problematic materials into valuable chemical resources, supporting a safer and more circular future for fluorine chemistry.

Do not be afraid to challenge difficult problems that seem impossible at first. Some of the most meaningful discoveries come from persistence, curiosity, and learning from repeated failures.

Norio Shibata

Q&A

What are your feelings on receiving this prize? 

Taichi Araki, Masashi Hattori and Hibika Ota: We are deeply honoured and excited to receive this prize from the Å·ÃÀAV. As students, it is incredibly encouraging to see our work recognized internationally. We also feel grateful to all collaborators, mentors, and team members who made this project possible.

What was your role within the team? 

Hibiki Ota and Taichi Araki: Our role involved carrying out experiments related to the defluorination of fluoropolymers and PFAS using sodium dispersion, analysing the reaction outcomes, and discussing the reaction mechanism with the team. We also contributed to optimising reaction conditions and preparing the results for publication.

What were the biggest challenges in this project, and how did you overcome them? 

Masashi Hattori and Tatsuki Kiyono: One of the biggest challenges was breaking extremely strong carbon–fluorine bonds in fluoropolymers at room temperature under mild conditions, within a short reaction time. We overcame this challenge through repeated experimentation, open discussion within the team, and a mechanochemical approach.

Why is this work so important and exciting? 

Zhengyu Zhao: PFAS and fluoropolymers are important industrial materials, but their persistence in the environment has become a global problem. Our work is exciting because it not only helps to destroy these materials under mild conditions, but also transforms them into useful fluorine resources that can be reused in chemistry. This changes the idea of fluorinated waste from a problem into a valuable resource.

How will this work be used in real life applications? 

Norio Shibata: In the future, this technology could help industries recycle fluoropolymer waste and recover fluorine for reuse in pharmaceuticals, electronic materials, agrochemicals and advanced functional materials. It may also contribute to safer treatment technologies for PFAS‑contaminated materials. PFAS are often called ‘forever chemicals’ because they are extremely difficult to degrade in the environment. However, our work suggests a new and positive meaning of ‘forever’: instead of being persistent pollutants, fluorine atoms from PFAS and fluoropolymers could be continuously recovered, recycled and reused as valuable chemical resources. In this way, fluorine circularity may reduce dependence on fluorspar mining and enable a more sustainable future for fluorine chemistry.

Thinking back to earlier in your career, are there any words of wisdom that you wish someone had told you? 

Norio Shibata: Do not be afraid to challenge difficult problems that seem impossible at first. Some of the most meaningful discoveries come from persistence, curiosity, and learning from repeated failures. Science often advances through small steps and teamwork rather than sudden breakthroughs by one person alone.