Overview
- Researchers at Newcastle University and the University of Birmingham used mechanochemistry with sodium metal to break Teflon’s carbon–fluorine bonds at room temperature without solvents.
- The process converts PTFE into carbon and sodium fluoride, producing a stable salt suitable for downstream chemistry.
- Solid-state NMR spectroscopy confirmed the formation of clean sodium fluoride with no detectable by-products.
- The recovered sodium fluoride was used directly to make fluorinated fine chemicals, including building blocks relevant to pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
- Published October 21 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the work offers a blueprint for a circular fluorine economy while remaining a lab-scale proof of concept.