Abstract
• Multifunctional Janus membranes fabricated for complex wastewater separation. • Oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions were separated with high efficiency. • ZnO photocatalyst provided antibacterial and dye degradation functionality. • This work provides practical design strategy for producing high-efficiency membrane. Oil spills and oily wastewater discharged from industries and households have resulted in environmental and economic concerns. Therefore, emerging Janus membranes with anisotropic wettability have attracted significant attention as next-generation oil/water separation membranes owing to their specific, on-demand separation ability. However, the one-step separation of complex wastewater has not yet been achieved. Herein, a pH-responsive siloxane modified polystyrene microsphere/zinc oxide/carbon nanotube/polyvinylidene fluoride (S/PS/ZnO/CNTs/PVDF) membrane was rationally designed with Janus surfaces for providing hydrophilicity/underwater lipophobicity and lipophilicity/underoil hydrophobicity functionality. This study demonstrates that the underlying mechanism of on-demand separation of water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsion is related to wettability, adhesive forces, and intrusion pressure. The proposed Janus membrane can achieve one-step separation of complex wastewater comprising oil, bacteria, organic dye, and metal ions. The effective removal of dyes is due to synergistic effects of electrostatic adsorption and photodegradation. This facile strategy for fabricating smart Janus separation membranes has application potential in on-demand oil/water separation and practical complex wastewater separation.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.