Emissions of greenhouse gases contribute significantly to global warming. Not only carbon dioxide (CO2) but also fluorine-containing gases—including so-called per- or polyfluorinated hydrocarbons, or PFCs—have a significant share in this development. Researchers at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of Heidelberg University led by Prof. Dr. Michael Mastalerz recently developed new crystalline materials that can selectively adsorb the molecules of such carbon-fluorine bonds. The Heidelberg researchers hope that these porous crystals may be useful for targeted binding and recovery of PFCs.
