Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) have been found to contaminate the global environment and have been implicated in a wide range of health problems. But the tough carbon-fluorine bonds in the compounds resist being torn apart, leading to expensive remediation schemes that rely on powerful chemicals and high temperatures and pressures. Today, two groups report in Nature the discovery of catalysts that could offer a cheaper way to clean up the chemicals. When energized by light, the catalysts break down a wide range of PFAS compounds at low temperatures and ambient pressures.

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