Photovoltaic e-waste for PFAS remediation and H 2 evolution

End-of-life photovoltaic modules and persistent fluorinated compounds present distinct challenges for waste management and chemical recovery. Here, we report an integrated approach that uses silicon recovered from discarded photovoltaic modules to promote the mechanochemical defluorination of perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Subsequent alkaline treatment releases the retained fluorine as fluoride and generates hydrogen through oxidation of the remaining silicon, with SiO 2 as a third recoverable product. The recovered fluoride is used to synthesize a sulfonyl fluoride, while the generated hydrogen is employed in heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenations, including reactions catalyzed by palladium supported on recovered photovoltaic silicon. This approach couples the degradation of persistent fluorinated compounds with the recovery of chemical reagents from photovoltaic waste, enabling their subsequent use in organic synthesis.