Dual-functional mesh with Zn-Ni-Co LDHs@NiMoO4 heterojunction nanoarrays for highly efficient oil/water separation and photocatalytic degradation

Abstract

In view of the serious water pollution issue, a kind of environmentally friendly, dual-functional, energy-efficient and low-cost superwetting material is urgently prepared for oil/water separation and the degradation of dyes in wastewater. In our work, dual-functional Zn-Ni-Co LDH@NiMoO4 nanoarrays (ZNC-NM) with porous core-shell structure were constructed on the stainless steel mesh (SSM) via a facile two-step hydrothermal method. The coated mesh exhibited favorable superhydyophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity with underwater oil contact angle (OCA) of 164.9°. Meanwhile, the as-prepared mesh possessed ultrahigh separation efficiency and high permeation flux for a series of oil/water mixtures. In addition, the good anti-fouling and self-cleaning property enabled the separation efficiency remain above 99.90% after 60 separation recycles. By virtue of good stability and anti-corrosive property, there were no remarkable alterations in the separation efficiency and underwater OCA of the designed mesh in harsh environments. More importantly, the NiMoO4 nanosheets anchored on Zn-Ni-Co LDH with the visible light responsiveness demonstrated favorable photocatalytic performance, which could efficiently degrade organic dyes in wastewater. Therefore, the dual-functional mesh coated with ZNC-NM nanoarrays based on this facile strategy is a promising material for oil/water separation and photocatalysis, owning great application potential in wastewater remediation.