Dynamic hydroxyl cycle of zeolite for short and ultra-short chain PFAS free potable water

The global shift in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) crisis towards (ultra-)short-chain congeners highlights the urgent need to design adsorbents with hydrophilic functions. However, current functional group immobilization modifications fail to balance efficiency with regeneration, limiting access to affordable (ultra-)short-chain PFAS-free potable water. Herein, we present a non-immobilized dynamic hydroxyl cycling strategy that uses only water to circularly drive commercial zeolite adsorption-regeneration processes, efficiently and sustainably removing various (ultra-)short-chain PFASs (C-F number: 1-6) from potable water. The enhanced nanopore accessibility and the formation of a “zeolite framework-confined water” dual-binding mode make the modified zeolite one of the highest capacity adsorbents reported (233.82-733.13 mg g-1). Notably, this methodology offers a potential low-cost, in-situ upgrade for existing purifiers, potentially providing healthy water to underdeveloped regions through 179 days of full-scale purification. Amid the global PFAS crisis shifting toward (ultra-)short-chain congeners, researchers develop a non-immobilized hydroxyl cycling strategy using water to drive zeolite adsorption regeneration cycles, enabling sustainable water purification upgrades.