Bio-based materials with special wettability for oil-water separation

Abstract

Oil leakage and the discharge of organic wastewater have not only threatened the ecosystem, but also greatly aggravated water scarcity. The separation of oil-water mixture has become a global challenge. To solve this problem, various materials with special wettability have been developed in last decades. Bio-based materials have attracted much attention due to their low cost, easy processing and biodegradability. Herein, an overview of bio-based oil-water separation materials, are systematically introduced. Basic considerations for oil-water separation is presented as a starting point for the discussion. Then, according to the dimension classification of materials, we give a detailed description of typical works and describe the impact of concepts, preparation methods and their wetting behavior on oil-water separation. Finally, some problems and challenges faced by bio-based materials are discussed and summarized, and their future development is prospected. It is expected that bio-based materials can realize industrial application in oil-water separation in the future.