PFAS waste can be used to extract lithium from high-salinity brine pools

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are primarily thought of as environmental pollutants, and most research on them focuses on removing them from the environment. Rice researcher James Tour, however, has a different approach. His team, led by postdoctoral associate and Rice Academy Junior Fellow Yi Cheng, developed a process to use PFAS to extract lithium from high-salinity brine pools. The team's work is described in a study published in Nature Water.