Superhydrophobic PDMS-pCA@CNWF Composite with UV-Resistant and Self-Cleaning Properties for Oil/Water Separation.

Hanyu Wen,Hiroshi Uyama,Yu-I Hsu

doi:10.3390/ma15010376

Abstract

Oil separation is crucial for avoiding environmental pollution originating from industrial wastewater and oil spillage; therefore, it is essential to develop techniques for oil separation. Herein, a new membrane with superhydrophilicity was synthesized by a facile, green, and low-cost method. First, cellulose non-woven fabric (CNWF) was modified by poly (catechin) (pCA), which has good antioxidant and antibacterial activities, to make it unaffected by ultraviolet light and to improve the stability of the structure. Then, hydrolyzed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was coated on the pCA@CNWF surface via chemical bonding to make the composite hydrophobic. This durable superhydrophobic fabric can be used to separate various oil/water mixtures by gravity-driven forces with high separation efficiency (over 98.9%). Additionally, the PDMS-pCA@CNWF possesses the advantages of flexibility, high efficiency, and an outstanding self-cleaning performance, and demonstrates significant potential for applications in various environments, even under various harsh conditions, which make it very promising for the treatment of oil pollution in practical applications.

Highlights

With the development of industrialization, the problem of water pollution has become a major challenge
Some research progress has been made in oil/water separation through chemical, physical, and biological treatment methods [10,11,12,13]
Enzymatic Polymerization of Catechin pCA was synthesized through a simple laccase-catalytic method by the polymerization of catechin (Scheme 1), because laccase is highly active for the oxidative polymerization of phenolic compounds [35]

Summary

Introduction

With the development of industrialization, the problem of water pollution has become a major challenge. As one of the three major types of industrial wastewater, oily wastewater is viewed as a serious environmental issue, threatening human life and the global ecosystem [1,2,3,4,5]. Oil/water separation is a green technology that separates oil/water mixtures to achieve waste oil recycling and sewage purification. It is widely used in wastewater treatment, domestic sewage treatment, the petrochemical industry, and other fields [6,7,8,9]. In most oil/water separation processes, the treatment of oily wastewater is inefficient and costly, and various oil/water separation materials are not able to separate every type of oily sewage simultaneously. Some research progress has been made in oil/water separation through chemical, physical, and biological treatment methods [10,11,12,13]

Methods

Results

Conclusion