Tracking Fluorine during Aqueous Photolysis and Advanced UV Treatment of Fluorinated Phenols and Pharmaceuticals Using a Combined 19F-NMR, Chromatography, and Mass Spectrometry Approach

Spontaneous aqueous defluorination of trifluoromethylphenols: substituent effects and revisiting the mechanism

Trifluoromethylphenols (TFMPs) are environmental contaminants that exist as transformation products of aryl-CF3 pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Their -CF3 moiety raises concerns as it may form problematic fluorinated transformation products such as the persistent pollutant trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). This study investigates the hydrolysis and spontaneous defluorination mechanisms of 2-TFMP, 3-TFMP, 4-TFMP, and 2-Cl-4-TFMP under environmentally relevant aqueous conditions, and under alkaline pH to investigate the mechanism of defluorination. 3-TFMP did not undergo hydrolysis. The other TFMPs reacted to primarily form the corresponding hydroxybenzoic acids and fluoride. High-resolution mass spectrometry identified a benzoyl fluoride intermediate in the hydrolysis of 4-TFMP and other dimer-like transformation products of the 4- and 2-Cl-4-TFMP. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the key defluorination step likely proceeds via an E1cb mechanism, driven by β-elimination. Experimental and computational results demonstrated substituent-dependent differences in reactivity, and the importance of the deprotonation of TFMPs for the hydrolysis reaction to proceed. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the complete defluorination of TFMPs and broader implications for the environmental defluorination of other PFAS.

New Sources of Very Persistent and Very Mobile (vPvM) Substances: A Case Study of the Fluorinated Herbicide Pyroxasulfone

With the increasing use of fluorinated agrochemicals, more fluorinated compounds enter into the environment. Pyroxasulfone (PYS), a broad-spectrum herbicide containing an aromatic CF3 (Ar-CF3), is expected to grow significantly in application. Although several transformation products (TPs) of PYS have been reported, their distribution and contribution to transformation processes remain largely unknown. This study combined laboratory simulations and a field study. In soil incubation and soil surface photolysis experiments, (5-(difluoromethoxy)-1-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methanesulfonic acid (TFPSA) was identified as the main TP of PYS in soil, accounting for over 90% of all TPs. Field study results showed that PYS and TFPSA were the main species in soil (6.48 ± 1.82 and 1.54 ± 0.90 ng g-1 wet weight) and corn plants (2.55 ± 2.61 and 31.1 ± 39.6 ng g-1 dry weight in roots) before harvest. Surface water photolysis experiments showed that TFPSA and TP246 were the major TPs of PYS and no significant photodegradation of TFPSA was observed. Persistent (P) and mobile (M) property assessment indicated TFPSA, TP246, and other Ar-CF3 containing TPs of various fluorinated agrochemicals could be potential very P and very M (vPvM) substances. More attention should be paid to Ar-CF3 containing agrochemicals and their TPs.

Photochemical Formation of Trifluoroacetic Acid: Mechanistic Insights into a Fluoxetine-Related Aryl-CF3 Compound

Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant; however, its sources are poorly constrained. One understudied source is from the photochemical reactions of aromatic compounds containing -CF3 moieties (aryl-CF3) including many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Here, we studied the aqueous photochemistry of 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenol (4-TFMP), a known transformation product of the pharmaceutical fluoxetine. When exposed to lamps centered at UV-B, 4-TFMP formed up to 9.2% TFA at a steady state under acidic conditions and 1.3% under alkaline conditions. TFA yields of fluoxetine were similar to 4-TFMP for acidic and neutral pH, but higher at alkaline pH, suggesting that fluoxetine may have a mechanism of TFA formation in addition to via the 4-TFMP intermediate. Use of an 13CF3 isotopologue of 4-TFMP allowed for the tracking of TFA formation, which formed via multiple oxidative additions prior to oxidative ring cleavage. The oxidation is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated through self-sensitized photolysis, with singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radicals as the key ROS. In addition to the TFA formation mechanism, other photochemical reactions of 4-TFMP resulted in defluorination and dimerization. Overall, this work expands our understanding of how TFA forms from aryl-CF3 compounds to better understand the total global burden of TFA.

Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Using UV-Advanced Reduction Processes

UV-advanced reduction processes (UV-ARP), characterized by the strongly reducing aqueous electron (eaq -), have been shown to degrade perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Due to the high cost of PFAS destruction technologies, concentrated waste streams derived from physical treatment processes, such as ion exchange or membrane concentrates, are promising targets for implementation of these technologies. However, there are limited studies on the application of UV-ARP for PFAS destruction in concentrated waste streams. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the UV/sulfite ARP in reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) containing high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrate, and carbonate species, spiked with mg/L concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorobutanoic acid. We demonstrate that hardness removal and preoxidation of ROC with UV/persulfate enables >90% PFAS defluorination within 24 h of subsequent UV/sulfite treatment, a 3-fold enhancement in defluorination % compared to UV/sulfite treatment without preoxidation. This enhancement is shown to result from abatement of the light shielding and eaq - scavenging capacity of DOC during UV/persulfate oxidation. Collectively, these results demonstrate that appropriate pretreatment steps increase the effectiveness of PFAS destruction using UV-ARP, supporting the application of UV-ARP for PFAS destruction in ROC and other concentrated waste streams.

Photolysis Products of Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals: A Combined Fluorine Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry Approach

The aqueous photolysis of four pharmaceuticals with varying fluorinated functional groups was assessed under neutral, alkaline, advanced oxidation, and advanced reduction conditions with varying light sources. Solar simulator quantum yields were 2.21 × 10-1 mol Ei-1 for enrofloxacin, 9.36 × 10-3 mol Ei-1 for voriconazole, and 1.49 × 10-2 mol Ei-1 for flecainide. Florfenicol direct photolysis was slow, taking 150 h for three degradation half-lives. Bimolecular rate constants between pharmaceuticals and hydroxyl radicals were 109 to 1010 M-1 s-1. Using a combined quantitative fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19F-NMR) and mass spectrometry approach, fluorine mass balances and photolysis product structures were elucidated. Enrofloxacin formed a variety of short-lived fluorinated intermediates that retained the aryl F motif. Extended photolysis time led to complete aryl F mineralization to fluoride. The aliphatic F moiety on florfenicol was also mineralized to fluoride, but the resulting product was a known antibiotic (thiamphenicol). For voriconazole, the two aryl Fs contributed more to fluoride production compared with the heteroaromatic F, indicating higher stability of the heteroaromatic F motif. The two aliphatic CF3 moieties in the flecainide structure remained intact under all conditions, further supporting the stability of these moieties found in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances under a variety of conditions. The advanced treatment conditions generating hydroxyl radicals or hydrated electrons accelerated the degradation, but not the defluorination, of flecainide. The combination of 19F-NMR and mass spectrometry proved powerful in allowing identification of fluorinated products and verifying the functional groups present in the intermediates and products. The results found in the present study will aid in the understanding of which fluorinated functional groups should be incorporated into pharmaceuticals to ensure organofluorine byproducts are not formed in the environment and help determine the water-treatment processes that effectively remove specific pharmaceuticals and more generally fluorinated motifs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:2285-2296. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Novel Insight into the Synergistic Mechanism for Pd and Rh Promoting the Hydro-Defluorination of 4-Fluorophenol over Bimetallic Rh-Pd/C Catalysts

This study explores the synergistic effect between the Rh and Pd of bimetallic Rh-Pd/C catalysts for the catalytic hydro-defluorination (HDF) of 4-fluorophenol (4-FP). It was found that 4-FP could not be efficiently hydro-defluorinated over 6% Pd/C and 6% Rh/C due to the inherent properties of Pd and Rh species in the dissociation of H2 and the activation of C-F bonds. Compared with 6% Pd/C and 6% Rh/C, bimetallic Rh-Pd/C catalysts, especially 1% Rh-5% Pd/C, exhibited much higher catalytic activity in the HDF of 4-FP, suggesting that the synergistic effect between the Rh and Pd of the catalyst was much more positive. Catalyst characterizations (BET, XRD, TEM, and XPS) were introduced to clarify the mechanism for the synergistic effect between the Rh and Pd of the catalyst in the HDF reaction and revealed that it was mainly attributed to the bifunctional mechanism: Pd species were favorable for the dissociation of H2, and Rh species were beneficial to the activation of C-F bonds in the HDF reaction. Meanwhile, the interaction between Rh and Pd species enabled Rh and Pd to exhibit a more positive synergistic effect, which promoted the migration of atomic H* from Pd to Rh species and thus enhanced the HDF of 4-FP. Furthermore, 1% Rh-5% Pd/C prepared using 20-40 equiv NaBH4 exhibited the best performance in the catalytic HDF of 4-FP. Catalysis characterizations suggested that appropriate Rh3+/Rh0 and Pd2+/Pd0 ratios were beneficial to the dissociation of H2 and the activation of C-F bonds, which caused the more positive synergistic effect between the Rh and Pd of Rh-Pd/C in the HDF reaction. This work offers a valuable strategy for enhancing the performance of catalytic HDF catalysts via promoting synergistic effects.

Combining Advanced Analytical Methodologies to Uncover Suspect PFAS and Fluorinated Pharmaceutical Contributions to Extractable Organic Fluorine in Human Serum (Tromsø Study)

A growing number of studies have reported that routinely monitored per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are not sufficient to explain the extractable organic fluorine (EOF) measured in human blood. In this study, we address this gap by screening pooled human serum collected over 3 decades (1986-2015) in Tromsø (Norway) for >5000 PFAS and >300 fluorinated pharmaceuticals. We combined multiple analytical techniques (direct infusion Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-Orbitrap-high-resolution mass spectrometry, and total oxidizable precursors assay) in a three-step suspect screening process which aimed at unequivocal suspect identification. This approach uncovered the presence of one PFAS and eight fluorinated pharmaceuticals (including some metabolites) in human serum. While the PFAS suspect only accounted for 2-4% of the EOF, fluorinated pharmaceuticals accounted for 0-63% of the EOF, and their contribution increased in recent years. Although fluorinated pharmaceuticals often contain only 1-3 fluorine atoms, our results indicate that they can contribute significantly to the EOF. Indeed, the contribution from fluorinated pharmaceuticals allowed us to close the organofluorine mass balance in pooled serum from 2015, indicating a good understanding of organofluorine compounds in humans. However, a portion of the EOF in human serum from 1986 and 2007 still remained unexplained.

Fluorinated Pharmaceutical and Pesticide Photolysis: Investigating Reactivity and Identifying Fluorinated Products by Combining Computational Chemistry,19F NMR, and Mass Spectrometry

Fluorinated breakdown products from photolysis of pharmaceuticals and pesticides are of environmental concern due to their potential persistence and toxicity. While mass spectrometry workflows have been shown to be useful in identifying products, they fall short for fluorinated products and may miss up to 90% of products. Studies have shown that 19F NMR measurements assist in identifying and quantifying reaction products, but this protocol can be further developed by incorporating computations. Density functional theory was used to compute 19F NMR shifts for parent and product structures in photolysis reactions. Computations predicted NMR spectra of compounds with an R2 of 0.98. Computed shifts for several isolated product structures from LC-HRMS matched the experimental shifts with <0.7 ppm error. Multiple products including products that share the same shift that were not previously reported were identified and quantified using computational shifts, including aliphatic products in the range of -80 to -88 ppm. Thus, photolysis of fluorinated pharmaceuticals and pesticides can result in compounds that are polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), including aliphatic-CF3 or vinyl-CF2 products derived from heteroaromatic-CF3 groups. C-F bond-breaking enthalpies and electron densities around the fluorine motifs agreed well with the experimentally observed defluorination of CF3 groups. Combining experimental-computational 19F NMR allows quantification of products identified via LC-HRMS without the need for authentic standards. These results have applications for studies of environmental fate and analysis of fluorinated pharmaceuticals and pesticides in development.

Using 19F NMR to Investigate Cationic Carbon Dot Association with Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

There is much concern about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) based on their environmental persistence and toxicity, resulting in an urgent need for remediation technologies. This study focused on determining if nanoscale polymeric carbon dots are a viable sorbent material for PFAS and developing fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19F NMR) methods to probe interactions between carbon dots and PFAS at the molecular scale. Positively charged carbon dots (PEI-CDs) were synthesized using branched polyethyleneimine to target anionic PFAS by promoting electrostatic interactions. PEI-CDs were exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to assess their potential as a PFAS sorbent material. After exposure to PFOA, the average size of the PEI-CDs increased (1.6 ± 0.5 to 7.8 ± 1.8 nm) and the surface charge decreased (+38.6 ± 1.1 to +26.4 ± 0.8 mV), both of which are consistent with contaminant sorption. 19F NMR methods were developed to gain further insight into PEI-CD affinity toward PFAS without any complex sample preparation. Changes in PFOA peak intensity and chemical shift were monitored at various PEI-CD concentrations to establish binding curves and determine the chemical exchange regime. 19F NMR spectral analysis indicates slow-intermediate chemical exchange between PFOA and CDs, demonstrating a high-affinity interaction. The α-fluorine had the greatest change in chemical shift and highest affinity, suggesting electrostatic interactions are the dominant sorption mechanism. PEI-CDs demonstrated affinity for a wide range of analytes when exposed to a mixture of 24-PFAS, with a slight preference toward perfluoroalkyl sulfonates. Overall, this study shows that PEI-CDs are an effective PFAS sorbent material and establishes 19F NMR as a suitable method to screen for novel sorbent materials and elucidate interaction mechanisms.

Electrochemical C-F bond activation of trifluoromethylarenes using silylium ions

We report a mild, electrochemical trihydrodefluorination (e-THDF) for breaking highly stable C-F bonds in trifluoromethyl arenes to form the corresponding methyl arene products. Uniquely, this "green" approach relies on the in situ generation of Lewis acidic silyl cations that mediate fluoride abstraction. Overall, e-THDF has significantly improved functional group tolerance over current methods and should inspire the continued development of defluorinative processes.

Wavelength-Dependent UV-LED Photolysis of Fluorinated Pesticides and Pharmaceuticals

The wavelength dependence of photoproduct formation and quantum yields was evaluated for fluorinated pesticides and pharmaceuticals using UV-light emitting diodes (LEDs) with 255, 275, 308, 365, and 405 nm peak wavelengths. The fluorinated compounds chosen were saflufenacil, penoxsulam, sulfoxaflor, fluoxetine, 4-nitro-3-trifluoromethylphenol (TFM), florasulam, voriconazole, and favipiravir, covering key fluorine motifs (benzylic-CF₃, heteroaromatic-CF₃, aryl-F, and heteroaromatic-F). Quantum yields for the compounds were consistently higher for UV-C as compared to UV-A wavelengths and did not show the same trend as molar absorptivity. For all compounds except favipiravir and TFM, the fastest degradation was observed using 255 or 275 nm light, despite the low power of the LEDs. Using quantitative ¹⁹F NMR, fluoride, trifluoroacetate, and additional fluorinated byproducts were tracked and quantified. Trifluoroacetate was observed for both Ar-CF₃ and Het-CF₃ motifs and increased at longer wavelengths for Het-CF₃. Fluoride formation from Het-CF₃ was significantly lower as compared to other motifs. Ar-F and Het-F motifs readily formed fluoride at all wavelengths. For Het-CF₃ and some Ar-CF₃ motifs, 365 nm light produced either a greater number of or different major products. Aliphatic-CF₂/CF₃ products were stable under all wavelengths. These results assist in selecting the most efficient wavelengths for UV-LED degradation and informing future design of fluorinated compounds.

Fluorous Liquids for Magnetic Resonance-Based Thermometry with Enhanced Responsiveness and Environmental Degradation

Accurate temperature measurement via magnetic resonance is valuable for both in vitro and in vivo analysis of local tissue for evaluating disease pathology and medical interventions. ¹H MRI-based thermometry is used clinically but is susceptible to error from magnetic field drift and low sensitivity in fatty tissue and requires a reference for absolute temperature determination. As an alternative, perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA), a perfluorocarbon liquid for ¹⁹F MRI thermometry, is based on chemical shift responsiveness and approaches the sensitivity of ¹H MRI thermometry agents; however, environmental persistence, greenhouse gas concerns, and multiple resonances which can lead to MRI artifacts indicate a need for alternative sensors. Using a ¹⁹F NMR-based structure-property study of synthetic organofluorine molecules, this research develops new organofluorine liquids with improved temperature responsiveness, high signal, and reduced nonmagnetically equivalent fluorine resonances. Environmental degradation analysis using reverse-phase HPLC and quantitative ¹⁹F NMR demonstrates a rapid degradation profile mediated via the aryl fluorine core of temperature sensors. Our findings show that our lead liquid temperature sensor, DD-1, can be made in high yield in a single step and possesses an improved responsiveness over our prior work and an 83% increase in aqueous thermal responsiveness over PFTBA. Degradation studies indicate robust degradation with half-lives of less than two hours under photolysis conditions for the parent compound and formation of other fluorinated products. The improved performance of DD-1 and its susceptibility to environmental degradation highlight a new lead fluorous liquid for thermometry applications.

Fluoro-recognition: New in vivo fluorescent assay for toluene dioxygenase probing induction by and metabolism of polyfluorinated compounds

The present study examined the regulatory and metabolic response of the aromatic degrader Pseudomonas putida F1 and its tod operon, controlling toluene degradation, to fluorinated aromatic and aliphatic compounds. The tod operon is upregulated by inducer binding to the TodS sensing domain of a two-component regulator. The induced enzymes include toluene dioxygenase that initiates catabolic assimilation of benzenoid hydrocarbons. Toluene dioxygenase was shown to oxidize 6-fluoroindole to a meta-stable fluorescent product, 6-fluoroindoxyl. The fluorescent output allowed monitoring relative levels of tod operon induction in whole cells using microtiter well plates. Mono- and polyfluorinated aromatic compounds were shown to induce toluene dioxygenase, in some cases to a greater extent than compounds serving as growth substrates. Compounds that are oxidized by toluene dioxygenase and undergoing defluorination were shown to induce their own metabolism. 1,2,4-Trifluorobenzene caused significant induction and computational modelling indicated productive binding to the TodS sensor domain of the TodST regulator. Toluene dioxygenase also showed preferential binding of 1,2,4-trifluorobenzene such that defluorination was favoured. Fluorinated aliphatic compounds were shown to induce toluene dioxygenase. An aliphatic ether with seven fluorine atoms, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-2-trifluoromethoxy-4-iodobutane (TTIB), was an excellent inducer of toluene dioxygenase activity and shown to undergo transformation in cultures of P. putida F1.

Finding Fluorine: Photoproduct Formation during the Photolysis of Fluorinated Pesticides

The photolysis of pesticides with different fluorine motifs was evaluated to quantify the formation of fluorinated products in buffered aqueous systems, advanced oxidation (AOP) and reduction processes (ARP), and river water. Simulated sunlight quantum yields at pH 7 were 0.0033, 0.0025, 0.0015, and 0.00012 for penoxsulam, florasulam, sulfoxaflor, and fluroxypyr, respectively. The bimolecular rate constants with hydroxyl radicals were 2 to 5.7 × 1010 M-1 s-1 and, with sulfate radicals, 1.6 to 2.6 × 108 M-1 s-1 for penoxsulam, florasulam, and fluroxypyr, respectively. The rate constants of sulfoxaflor were 100-fold lower. Using quantitative 19F-NMR, complete fluorine mass balances were obtained. The maximum fluoride formation was 53.4 and 87.4% for penoxsulam and florasulam under ARP conditions, and 6.1 and 100% for sulfoxaflor and fluroxypyr under AOP conditions. Heteroaromatic CF3 and aliphatic CF2 groups were retained in multiple fluorinated photoproducts. Aryl F and heteroaromatic F groups were readily defluorinated to fluoride. CF3 and CF2 groups formed trifluoroacetate and difluoroacetate, and yields increased under oxidizing conditions. 19F-NMR chemical shifts and coupling analysis provided information on hydrogen loss on adjacent bonds or changes in chirality. Mass spectrometry results were consistent with the observed 19F-NMR products. These results will assist in selecting treatment processes for specific fluorine motifs and in the design of agrochemicals to reduce byproduct formation.