Biomimetic fabrication of superhydrophobic loofah sponge: robust for highly efficient oil-water separation in harsh environments.

ABSTRACT: Oil/water separation has become an increasingly important field due to frequent industrial oily wastewater emission and crude oil spill accidents. Herein, we fabricate a robust superhydrophobic loofah sponge via a versatile, environmentally friendly, and low-cost dip coating strategy, which involves the modification of commercial loofah sponge with waterborne polyurea and fused SiO₂ nanoparticles without the modification of any toxic low-surface-energy compound. The as-prepared loofah sponge showed excellent superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties and exhibited robustness for effective oil-water separation in extremely harsh environments (such as 1 M HCl, 1 M NaOH, saturated NaCl solution and hot water higher than 95 °C) due to the remarkably high chemical stability.

SUBMITTER: Yu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9082177 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature