Biomaterial that could replace PFAS coatings wins RSC award

Royal Society of Chemistry

A LONDON-BASED company developing biobased alternatives to harmful PFAS chemicals has won in the environment category of the Emerging Technology competition run by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). 

Demeter Bio has developed a non-toxic biomaterial called Fibrepel, which the company says can replace PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) widely used as water- and oil-repellent coatings in textiles and packaging. 

The RSC also presented prizes to winners in enabling technologies, energy and health categories at a ceremony in London last month. The four winners will share £50,000 ($68,000). 

PFAS are ubiquitous across everyday items, including cookware, clothing and furniture, owing to their thermal and chemical stability, but evidence of their links to cancer has prompted governments to plan their phase-out. 

The European Union legislated for a total ban on PFAS in firefighting foam last year, although the UK government was criticised last month when its latest proposals were seen to be too weak. 

Early attempts to develop PFAS-free coatings often relied on microplastics, which come with their own health risks, explained Demeter Bio co-founders Adelya Khayrova and Rayan Osseiran. Many solutions also focused more on controlling PFAS pollution than developing alternative materials, they added. 

CEO Osseiran said: “If a sustainable solution can be found, we don’t need to spend the time and money dealing with these chemicals and their impact.”

Osseiran said phasing out PFAS will take time, but that their technology “is a step in the right direction”. He added: “Although our chemistry may need to be altered for different products, our core innovation is an exciting and scalable proposition that can be applied to multiple different industries.”

Chief scientific officer Khayrova said the RSC recognition was “incredibly meaningful”, and that it would “open the door to new collaborations across academia and industry, enabling us to further develop Fibrepel and accelerate the transition to safer, PFAS-free materials”.

Ben Voysey, entrepreneurship manager at the RSC, said: “PFAS contamination is a huge issue and efforts like these, to develop safer alternatives for these chemicals’ useful properties, are critical to improving our health and wider environment. Demeter Bio is an extremely worthy winner in the environment category, and, alongside our other entries and finalists, we applaud their application of technically advanced solutions to this issue.”

Lithium-ion tech also recognised

The RSC also awarded a prize to Gavion, a Lancaster University spinout that has developed a material to make lithium-ion batteries in electrical vehicles more safe and durable. 

Gavion says its priority material, organically synthesised porous carbon (OSPC), reduces fire risk in lithium-ion batteries when added to graphite anodes by suppressing lithium dendrite formation. Founder Abbie Trewin said the prize money was less important to her than “the kudos and credibility that we get from winning such a prestigious prize”. She added: “It opens a lot of doors for us and gets us in the room with investors and people take it very seriously.

“It’s a big stamp of approval for us that we are an exciting company with real rigorous science.”