Ethanol-water Co-solvent Research Articles

Synthesis of hydrothermal carbonation carbon with tunable photocatalytic performance for trimethoprim degradation using an ethanol-water co-solvent strategy: Influence of ethanol concentration

Hydrothermal carbonation carbon (HTCC) is increasingly acknowledged as a promising photocatalytic material for degrading antibiotics in water due to its green and cost-effective properties. While ethanol and water are prevalent solvents in the preparation of HTCC, research examining the influence of solvent combinations on the photocatalytic efficacy of HTCC is lacking. The influence of various ethanol-water co-solvent preparation ratios (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 wt% ethanol concentration in the co-solvent) on the photocatalytic degradation activity of trimethoprim (TMP) by HTCC was examined in this study. The results indicated that altering ethanol solvent preparation concentrations modulates the morphological characteristics, surface functional groups, and photochemical attributes of co-solvent HTCC materials. HTCC prepared using an 80 wt% ethanol solvent concentration demonstrated the most efficient TMP photocatalytic degradation (>90%). The TMP degradation kinetic constants of 80 wt% ethanol concentration co-solvent HTCC were 3.29 and 1.51 times greater compared to those of HTCC prepared using only water or ethanol as solvents, respectively. •O2− predominantly served as the key reactive oxygen species in TMP photocatalytic decomposition by 80 wt% ethanol concentration co-solvent HTCC, with its generation mechanism linked to the intrinsic furan donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated structure of HTCC. An increase in ethanol solvent preparation concentration promotes the formation of more furan units, increased coupling of donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugation, a lower D-A ratio, and enhanced generation of short-chain aliphatics in HTCC, which then directly impacts its electron transfer capability, bandgap structure, light absorption capacity, and photocatalytic degradation efficiency. This work provides fresh strategies for the preparation and photocatalytic performance modulation of water treatment photocatalysts based on HTCC.

Production of low phenolic naphtha-rich biocrude through co-hydrothermal liquefaction of fecal sludge and organic solid waste using water-ethanol co-solvent

Biocrude production from wet waste through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) has become a hotspot for researchers that serves as an alternative to fossil fuel, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting waste to energy approach. However, higher phenolic compounds in hydrothermal liquefaction-derived biocrude have raised concerns about its quality. This study focuses on the production of low phenolic naphtha-rich biocrude through co-liquefaction (320 °C and 60 min) of fecal sludge (FS) and organic solid waste (OSW), two major wet streams by optimizing feedstock (1:0, 1:1, 0:1) and water-ethanol co-solvent (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, 0:1). The results revealed that the highest biocrude yield of 55.7 % was achieved at 1:1 (FS: OSW) feedstock and 1:1 (water: ethanol) co-solvent with a heating value of 37.5 MJ/kg, indicating its potentiality to replace petrocrude (42–49 MJ/kg). Notably, produced biocrude is enriched with a lighter fraction (C < 20) of 90 % (85 % naphtha and 5 % jet fuel). The composition of the biocrude comprises 58 % ester, 25 % hydrocarbon, 15 % organic acid, and <1 % phenol, which ensures the least amount of phenolic compounds due to the replacement of the –OH group by the more stable ethoxy group, leading to increased naphtha yield and the absence of phenolic toxicity. Furthermore, the highest API value was recorded at 23.3, which emphasizes its similarity to conventional petroleum API gravity (medium-lighter crude). This energy-positive system (energy recovery 88 % and energy consumption ratio 0.38) could generate revenue of US$ 550 per metric ton of feedstock, suggesting the potentiality of commercialization and contributing to sustainable green energy production.

Tyrosinase from Citreicella sp. as an organophilic enzyme for catechol biosynthesis

Tyrosinases can directly catalyze the biosynthesis of catechol compounds without additional cofactors under mild conditions. However, the low stability of tyrosinases in organic media has limited their use. Herein, a tyrosinase (csTyr) was identified from Citreicella sp. SE45 that possesses a characteristic feature of halophilic proteins and can be functionally expressed in Escherichia coli. Remarkably, the enzymatic activity of csTyr was effectively induced by primary alcohols in cosolvent media, whereas csTyr did not have enzymatic activity in aqueous media, minimizing unwanted reactions during tyrosinase preparation. In particular, the catalytic efficiency and stability of csTyr in a 50 % (v/v) ethanol-water cosolvent were comparable to those of other tyrosinases in water. Using csTyr as a catalyst for ortho-hydroxylation reactions of acetaminophen and resveratrol, the high catalytic activity and stability in 50 % (v/v) ethanol efficiently enabled the production of 3-hydroxy-acetaminophen and piceatannol. Therefore, csTyr, an organophilic tyrosinase, can be greatly useful in the biosynthesis of catechol compounds by addressing the issue of poor enzymatic stability in organic media.

Effects of solvent phase recycling on microalgae liquefaction in ethanol: Bio-oil production and nitrogen transformation

Liquefaction of microalgae in ethanol offers an eco-friendly bio-oil alternative, but solvent recycling is crucial for sustainability due to extra costs. In this work, Chlorella vulgaris was liquefied in supercritical ethanol at 260 °C, and the solvent phase (SP) separated from bio-oil was recovered and reused. Five liquefaction cycles were performed at identical temperature and pressure conditions to investigate the effects on oil production and nitrogen transformation. The findings demonstrated a gradual increase in water content in recycled SP. Ethanol-water co-solvent as the reaction medium promoted the decomposition and re-polymerization of protein in raw material, thus increasing the bio-oil yield (76.84 %) and higher heating value (33.53 MJ/kg) to some extent. Simultaneously, the relative nitrogen content of bio-oil rose from 8.03 % to 8.52 %, predominantly in the form of nitrogen heterocycles. The potential pathway for nitrogen conversion was revealed, which establishes a theoretical basis for the subsequent denitrification of bio-oil.

Effect of operating conditions on hydrothermal liquefaction of kitchen waste with ethanol-water as a co-solvent for bio-oil production

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) can directly convert kitchen waste (KW) to bio-oil without pre-drying. This study investigated the effect of operating temperatures (240–280 °C), solvent (ethanol, water and ethanol-water co-solvent) on bio-oil production during HTL of KW. The bio-oil was characterized, including composition, boiling point and viscosity. By comparison, higher reaction temperature and ethanol concentration in co-solvent could effectively increase the yield and quality of bio-oil, which implies the promotion of liquefaction efficiency. The highest bio-oil yield of 47.59%, conversion ratio of 72.65%, and high heating value (HHV) of 31.93 MJ/kg were obtained at the ethanol concentration of 62.5% in co-solvent and reaction temperature of 260 °C. Compared to the hydrothermal liquefaction of KW in water, the reaction in ethanol-water co-solvent produced higher energy yield. Moreover, the addition of ethanol in co-solvent could increase the concentration of ester compounds and reduce the viscosity of bio-oil.

Extraction of phenolic compounds from rice husk via ethanol-water-modified supercritical carbon dioxide

Rice husk, a rice processing byproduct generated in large quantities (∼20% of the grain weight), creates a major disposal problem for the rice industry. However, rice husk contains high-value bioactive compounds that can provide potential health benefits. The objective of this study was to extract high-value phenolic compounds from rice husk using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC–CO2) technology. In this study, the effects of different extraction conditions, namely, temperature (40 and 60 °C), pressure (30 and 40 MPa), and ethanol concentration (15 and 25%, w/w) on the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (AA) were investigated. The extraction of phenolic compounds was also studied using different SC-CO2 modifiers, i.e., ethanol and ethanol-water. The highest TPC, TFC, and AA were achieved with 30 MPa, 60 °C, and 25% ethanol-water (50%, v/v) cosolvent mixture as 1.29 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, 0.40 mg catechin equivalent (CE)/g, and 0.23 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g, respectively. Increasing water content up to 50% (v/v) in the cosolvent significantly improved the extraction yield. p-Coumaric, ferulic, and syringic acids were the predominant phenolic acids in the extracts obtained by cosolvent-modified SC-CO2 and methanol extractions. In addition, ethanol-water-modified SC-CO2 increased rice husk's porosity, which could be a potential pretreatment to enhance cellulose extraction. Thus, ethanol-water-modified SC-CO2 can be utilized to recover polar bioactive compounds from food processing byproducts for developing functional foods while eliminating the use of toxic organic solvents.

Aqueous-alcohol-processable indolo[3,2-b]indole-based crystalline small molecules for organic field effect transistors with oligo(ethylene glycol) side chains

We address an eco-friendly aqueous process approach to obtain efficient/stable small molecule organic field effect transistors (OFETs). Penta-ethylene glycol (PEG) side chains were introduced at N-positions of the rigid backbone structures of indolo[3,2-b]indole(IDID), thus enabling the formation of PEG-IDIDF. The PEG-IDIDF exhibited remarkable solubility in alcohol (ethanol) solvent. The X-ray diffraction and grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering measurements indicate that the suitable addition of a typical cosolvent, water, to ethanol solvent significantly contributes to an enhancement in film crystallinity and molecular stacking orientation features than those of the PEG-IDIDF film processed by using a single solvent. Consequently, the PEG-IDIDF OFETs processed by the ethanol water cosolvent (90:10) ratio yielded the enhanced hole mobility of 4.07 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 and current on/off ratio of 106, which was one of the highest reliable mobility for small molecules OFETs processed with an alcohol solvent.

Optimizing on flash hydrothermal liquefaction environment for improving the quality of bio-crude

Reducing carbon emissions has become the current focus of attention all over the world. Alternative biofuels are an important means to achieve the carbon reduction. Among them, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of algae-based biomass has been widely studied because of its environmental friendliness and mild conditions. In this paper, the effect of different conditions on microalgae bio-crude enhancement was investigated, using innovative experimental methods, including flash heating HTL with two step or by co-solvent. It showed that recovery of carbon, hydrogen and energy could reach 0.53, 0.48 and 0.58 respectively at 250 °C for 30 min with ethanol-water co-solvent as the medium. The highest total content of fatty acids and fatty acid esters were found in the bio-crude with methanol/ethanol-water co-solvent as the medium. The nitrogen content of the bio-crude obtained by the two-step method is lower than that of the one-step method. The content of cholesterol and vitamin E as indicators of bioactive substances performed well with ethanol-water co-solvent as the liquid phase medium, containing 16.1% in bio-crude at 240 °C for 3 min, and also advantageously with air as the gas phase medium.

Effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone and poly (ethylene glycol) on preparation of ibuprofen pharmaceutical cocrystal

In this study, we investigated the effects of polymers on the pharmaceutical cocrystal formation process. Ibuprofen (IBU) was selected as the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), nicotinamide (NIC) and saccharin (SAC) as the cocrystal coformer (CCF), ethanol/water as the solvent, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the representative polymers. We prepared IBU-NIC and IBU-SAC cocrystals in ethanol-water cosolvent in the absence or presence of polymers. Cocrystal screening products were characterized by FTIR, DSC, PXRD, and HPLC. The results showed that the mixture of IBU and IBU-NIC cocrystal can be prepared in ethanol-water cosolvent without polymers. The addition of PVP facilitates the formation of pure IBU-NIC cocrystal; however, no cocrystal was formed in PEG solutions. SAC could not cocrystallize with IBU in the ethanol-water solvent in the absence of polymers. Neither PVP nor PEG could facilitate the formation of the IBU-SAC cocrystal.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of Cd-enriched Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. in ethanol–water co-solvent: Focus on low-N bio-oil and heavy metal/metal-like distribution

The high nitrogen content in bio-oil from protein-rich biomass will cause the possible pollution problems by NOX emissions during combustion. In this study, Cd-enriched Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. (AHL) was treated by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) in ethanol–water co-solvent aiming to reduce the nitrogen content of the bio-oil. Besides, aqueous phase recycling (APR) was applied to achieve a higher bio-oil yield. HTL in ethanol–water co-solvent with APR three times resulted in the maximum bio-oil yield (47.26%) and greatly reduced the nitrogenous compounds content of bio-oil. During the APR process, the increase of total nitrogen (TN) content in the aqueous phase indicated that organic-N in the organic phase transformed into NH4+ to the aqueous phase. Acetic acid (13.87–22.37 mg/mL) was dominated in the aqueous phase, leading to a low pH value (6.27–5.29), which could serve as the possible catalyst for the HTL process during APR that can be the reason for the higher bio-oil yield. After the HTL process, Cr, Cu, Cd and Pb remained mostly in bio-char while As was present largely in the aqueous phase. Thus, this study demonstrated that the APR for HTL process in ethanol–water co-solvent can be a hopeful method to dispose the high-protein biomass for improved bio-oil yield and quality.

Improving the organic solvent resistance of lipase a from Bacillus subtilis in water–ethanol solvent through rational surface engineering

Given that lipase is an enzyme applicable in various industrial fields and water-miscible organic solvents are important reaction media for developing industrial-scale biocatalysis, a structure-based strategy was explored to stabilize lipase A from Bacillus subtilis in a water–ethanol cosolvent. Site-directed mutagenesis of ethanol-interacting sites resulted in 4 mutants, i.e., Ser16Gly, Ala38Gly, Ala38Thr, and Leu108Asn, which were stable in 50% ethanol and had up to 1.8-fold higher stability than the wild-type. In addition, Leu108Asn was more thermostable at 45 °C than the wild type. The results discussed in this study not only provide insights into strategies for enzyme engineering to improve organic solvent resistance but also suggest perspectives on pioneering routes for constructing enzyme-based biorefineries to produce value-added fuels and chemicals.

Morphology and formation of crystalline leucine microparticles from a co-solvent system using multi-orifice monodisperse spray drying

The purpose of this study was twofold: to investigate leucine crystallization kinetics in co-solvent spray drying for a deeper understanding of the morphology and formation process of spray-dried crystalline particles, and also to develop multi-orifice plates using gallium focused ion beam milling in order to increase the production rate of monodisperse spray drying. A monodisperse spray drying technique using a vibrating orifice atomizer equipped with a gallium focused ion beam-manufactured dual-orifice plate was used to produce model particles in this study. The dual-orifice plate achieved an average production rate of 23.8 ± 2.0 mg/hr for the model particles, which allowed sufficient production of monodisperse powders for microscopic and spectroscopic analysis as well as fragility testing, within a reasonable spray drying time period. Leucine was dissolved in a water-ethanol co-solvent at ratios of 0.25/0.75 w/w, 0.5/0.5 w/w, and 1/0 w/w, and then spray dried at inlet temperatures of 20, 40, and 80 °C. Crystallinity of the spray-dried particles was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Numerical models were used to predict the crystallization and drying kinetics for the different co-solvent ratios and drying temperatures. Increasing the time available for crystallization correlated qualitatively with a larger crystal size. Changes in particle morphology affected the fragility of the particles, as illustrated in electron microscope images. This work highlights the importance of controlling crystal size and particle morphology via solvent environment and drying temperature in the design and manufacture of microparticles for desired powder properties.Copyright © 2021 American Association for Aerosol Research

Co-Solvent Selection for Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) of Phenolic Compounds from Labisia pumila.

A preliminary study was conducted to study the effects of different types and concentrations of co-solvents based on yield, composition and antioxidants capacity of extract prior to optimization studies of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of Labisia pumila (locally referred to as ‘kacip fatimah’). The following co-solvents were studied prior to the optimization of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC–CO2) technique: ethanol, water, methanol, as well as aqueous solutions of ethanol–water and methanol–water (50% and 70% v/v). By using the selected co-solvents, identification of phenolic acids (gallic acid, methyl gallate and caffeic acid) was determined by using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Then, the antioxidant capacity was evaluated by using three different assays: total phenolic content (TPC), ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and free radical-scavenging capacity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). SC–CO2 with 70% ethanol–water co-solvent was superior in terms of a higher combination of phenolic compounds extracted and antioxidants capacity. Overall, SC–CO2 with co-solvent 70% ethanol–water technique was efficient in extracting phenolic compounds from L. pumila, and thus the usage of this solvent system should be considered for further optimization studies.

Extraction of lipids from New Zealand fern fronds using near-critical dimethyl ether and dimethyl ether–water–ethanol mixtures

Dimethyl ether (DME), under near-critical conditions, can be used to extract lipids containing valuable fatty acids from wet biomass. In this work, DME, and a mixture of DME with a water–ethanol co-solvent, are used to extract fronds of the fern Cyathea dealbata, and the fatty acid composition of the extract was compared with the fern total lipids obtained by chloroform–methanol extraction. Extraction was carried out by circulating DME through a packed bed of milled undried fern material at pressure of 4.0 MPa, temperature of 58 °C, flow rate of 13.6 kg per kg undried fern material per hour, for 60 min followed by extraction using DME with addition of 5 wt% of a 70% ethanol in water co-solvent mixture until 572 g of co-solvent had been introduced. The total combined yield of DME and DME–ethanol–water extracts was 6.3 wt% of the fronds with the recovery of 88–93% of the major fatty acids (18:3n-3, 16:0, 18:2n-6, 18:1n-9). The remaining residue contained<7% of the fern total lipids. The extracts were slightly enriched in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 95% recovery), while a significant portion of arachidonic acid (ARA, 19%) remained in the residue. The DME and DME–ethanol–water extracts contained 6.9 and 6.1 mg/g of ARA, and 13.4 and 14.2 mg/g of EPA, respectively.

Effect of thermochemically fractionation before hydrothermal liquefaction of herbaceous biomass on biocrude characteristics

Abstract Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of fractionated two types herbaceous biomass (kenaf and miscanthus) by dilute acid, organosolv, alkaline, or demineralization process was carried out under ethanol water co-solvent at 350 °C for 30 min to examine the biocrude yield and characteristics. The biocrude properties were comprehensively characterized by HPLC, elemental, GC-MS, and TGA analysis. Fractionation technologies before HTL effectively increased biocrude yield up to 38% compared to that of untreated herbaceous biomass (31%), except for organosolv fractionation of miscanthus, especially, HTL after alkaline fractionation showed high yield and energy recovery ratio up to 70%. Elemental analysis showed that HHV of biocrude was negatively affected by hydrolysis reaction of high lignin content after dilute acid fractionation. The GC-MS analysis revealed that carbohydrates-derived compound significantly increased in the biocrude obtained after organosolv and alkaline fractionation due to holocellulose increases through fractionation process. Additionally, TGA results indicated that the ratio of high-boiling-point compounds in biocrude obtained after demineralization was expanded compared with untreated due to ash removal, which could act as a catalyst.

Preparation of carbonyl precursors for long-chain oxygenated fuels from cellulose ethanolysis catalyzed by metal oxides

Long-chain oxygenated liquid fuels have similar physicochemical properties with diesel fuel, and its oxygen can promote combustion and reduce PM2.5. An approach for the preparation of the precursor from lignocellulose suitable for CC coupling is the key problem to be solved in the production of long-chain oxygenated fuels. In this work, cellulose, as a main component in biomass, was directly alcoholyzed to carbonyl compounds with α-H catalyzed by three typical metal oxides (CaO, MgO and ZnO). The results showed that high temperature was favorable for the conversion of cellulose, but a large number of side products, namely levoglucosan and ethyl-α-D-pyran glucoside, have been detected in liquefied products. These by-products could be transformed into target precursors with α-H over CaO or ZnO with 0.5 mmol at 320 °C in ethanol solvent. Additionally, side reactions of ethanol at elevated temperature could be inhibited with ZnO in water-ethanol co-solvent and the by-products from ethanol dehydration, including 1,1-diethoxyethane, 2-ethoxyethanol, dropped significantly with an increase in carbonyl compounds. Noticeably, compared with pure ethanol, the yield of carbonyl compounds in liquid products increased obviously to 47.4% when the volume ratio of water to ethanol was 3: 10.

Solid base catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of macroalgae: Effects of process parameter on product yield and characterization

The hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of Sargassum tenerrimum (ST) macroalgae was carried out for 15 min, over various solid base catalysts (CaO supported on CeO2, Al2O3, and ZrO2) at different reaction temperatures (260–300 °C), different catalyst quantities (5–25 wt%) and using different solvent systems. Maximum bio-oil (BO) yields for the non-catalytic HTL with single solvent water, ethanol, and water-ethanol co-solvent were 3.3 wt%, 23.3 wt%, and 32.0 wt%, respectively, at 280 °C. Ethanol as single solvent elicited highest BO yield of 25.2 wt% with CaO/ZrO2 (10.0 wt%) catalyst. However, the highest BO yield (33.0 wt%) accompanied by higher conversion (70.5%) was obtained with CaO/ZrO2 (10.0 wt%) under water-ethanol co-solvent. The selectively higher percentage of ester functional compounds (87.8%) was found with CaO/ZrO2 catalyst under water-ethanol co-solvent. Also, the bio-oil obtained from catalytic liquefaction showed a higher high heating value (HHV) compared to that from the non-catalytic HTL reaction.

Distribution and transformation behaviors of heavy metals during liquefaction process of sewage sludge in ethanol-water mixed solvents

Liquefaction of sewage sludge (SS) in ethanol-water cosolvents is a promising process for the preparation of bio-oil/biochar products. Effect of the combined use of ethanol and water on the distribution/transformation behaviors of heavy metals (HMs) contained in raw SS is a key issue on the safety and cleanness of above liquefaction process, which is explored in this study. The results show that pure ethanol facilitates the migration of HMs into biochar products. Pure water yields lower percentages of HMs in mobile/bioavailable speciation. Compared with sole solvent treatment, ethanol-water cosolvent causes a random/average effect on the distribution/transformation behaviors of HMs. After liquefaction of SS in pure water, the contamination degree of HMs is mitigated from high level (25.8 (contamination factor)) in raw SS to considerable grade (13.4) in biochar and the ecological risk is mitigated from moderate risk (164.5 (risk index)) to low risk (78.8). Liquefaction of SS in pure ethanol makes no difference to the pollution characteristics of HMs. The combined use of ethanol and water presents similar immobilization effects on HMs to pure water treatment. The contamination factor and risk index of HMs in biochars obtained in ethanol-water cosolvent treatment are 13.1−14.6 (considerable grade) and 79.3−101.0 (low risk), respectively. In order to further control the pollution of HMs, it is preferentially suggested to improve the liquefaction process of SS in ethanol-water mixed solvents by introducing conventional lignocellulosic/algal biomass, also known as co-liquefaction treatment.

Novel and cutting-edge applications for a solvent-responsive superoleophobic–superhydrophilic surface: Water-infused omniphobic surface and separating organic liquid mixtures

Superoleophobic–superhydrophilic surface has arousing massive research interests owing to its remarkable advantages in applications including liquid-liquid separation, anti-fogging and liquid transportation. But such superwetting surface has been considered counterintuitive since a given superoleophobic surface tends to repel water based on the classical surface free energy theory. Although significant progresses have been achieved for fabricating such superwetting surfaces, the existing attempts for searching the most cutting-edge and state-of-the-art functions are still extremely rare. In this work, we have successfully fabricated a stable superoleophobic–superhydrophilic surface by spraying an all-in-one suspension containing silica nanoparticles, aluminium phosphate, and Capstone FS-50 in ethanol-water cosolvent. The stable coating on various substrates displayed clever solvent-responsive behavior that highly polar liquid droplets can quickly wet surface while nonpolar liquid droplet can bead up, even after suffering from mechanical and chemical attacks. Thanks to the superhydrophilic porous surface hierarchy, a novel water-infused slippery surface can be achieved without using any costly low-surface energy lubricants. Based on the selective wettability caused by polarity interaction difference, the coated mesh can successfully achieve repeatable separation of immiscible polar liquid-nonpolar liquid mixtures in a high-efficiency mode, even for the liquid pair with a small surface energy difference of 3.1 mJ m−2.

Underwater superoleophobic and underoil superhydrophobic surface made by liquid-exfoliated MoS2 for on-demand oil-water separation

Intrinsic wettability of atomically thin solids has a great impact on science and technology. Herein, the wetting property of liquid-exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) was investigated. The prepared MoS2 nanosheets can be well dispersed in nonpolar (1,2-dichloroethane and 1-dodecanol) and polar (water-ethanol cosolvent) solvents. Similarly, the MoS2-coated fabric shows excellent underwater superoleophobic and underoil superhydrophobic properties. Taking advantage of the unusual intrinsic wettability, few-layered MoS2 demonstrates the great potential in on-demand oil-water separation.