Francisco Ayala, DC1 from KU Leuven, has begun on July 2nd his secondment at James Kwan’s research group (University of Oxford), internationally recognized for its expertise in sonochemistry and reactor engineering. Here, Francisco will deepen his research on ultrasound degradation and defluorination of PFAS.
Prof. Kwan’s group is uniquely equipped with state-of-the-art and in-lab developed ultrasound reactors that can operate across a wide range of frequencies and pressures. This will allow Francisco to explore how mid- and high-frequency and pressures influence PFAS degradation pathways, defluorination efficiency, energy consumption, and by-product formation. The lab is also equipped with acoustic characterization tools such as hydrophones and oscilloscopes, enabling precise mapping of cavitation fields and energy distribution, which is an essential step in understanding and optimizing degradation mechanisms.
Moreover, he will have the chance to work with continuous-flow reactors, with which he will study the influence of continuous flow on PFAS degradation efficiency and defluorination rates, simulating real wastewater treatment plant conditions to assess scalability and practical feasibility.
Finally, this secondment also means a great opportunity for DC1 to design and build a custom ultrasound reactor to assess the impact of reactor geometry, transducer positioning, and cavitation dynamics on PFAS degradation efficiency.
Working hand in hand with sonochemistry and reactor engineers experts, he will seize this opportunity to deepen his understanding on how ultrasounds treatment is a green alternative for PFAS treatment and water sanitation.