Oil Spill Remediation Research Articles

Integrated Application of Innovative Technologies for Oil Spill Remediation in Gran Tarajal Harbor: A Scientific Approach

This study examines recovery efforts at Gran Tarajal Harbor following a significant oil spill, employing a combination of innovative technologies tailored to enhance oil spill remediation. Cleanup operations incorporated advanced absorbent sponges with high reusability, absorbent granulates for targeted hydrocarbon capture, bioremediation techniques using allochthonous microorganisms to accelerate natural degradation processes, and the integration of newly designed oil containment barriers coupled with sponges. These technologies were instrumental in effectively mitigating environmental damage, as evidenced by a reduction in hydrocarbon concentrations in sediments from nearly 60,000 mg/kg to under 1600 mg/kg within seven months. Notably, advanced absorbent sponges demonstrated superior capacity for repeated use, optimizing the cleanup process and contributing to the sustainability of the response efforts. The most important finding of this research is the demonstrated efficacy of integrated approach in not only reducing hydrocarbon contamination but also in promoting ecological recovery. Heavy metal analyses revealed that lead and copper concentrations were primarily associated with routine port activities, while mercury levels, attributed to the spill, decreased significantly over time. Tissue analysis of local organisms showed minimal contamination, and assessments of biological communities indicated signs of ecological recovery. This work highlights the necessity of introduce new disruptive technologies in contingency plans.

Glycerol Carbonate as an Emulsifier for Light Crude Oil: Synthesis, Characterization, and Stability Analysis

This study focuses on the synthesis and application of glycerol carbonate (GC) as an emulsifier for light crude oil. GC was synthesized from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate via transesterification, achieving a 90% yield. Characterization through 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and FT-IR confirmed its structure. The emulsification properties of GC were tested by mixing it with light crude oil and water, demonstrating effective emulsification and forming stable emulsions. Stability tests with GC concentrations of 60/40, 70/30, and 80/20 revealed that emulsions remained stable for over 24 h. A particle size analysis indicated that higher GC concentrations produced smaller droplet sizes, enhancing the emulsification efficiency. This study highlights the potential applications of GC in oil spill remediation and enhanced oil recovery, emphasizing its biodegradability and low toxicity as environmental benefits. Overall, GC is presented as an effective and eco-friendly emulsifier for light crude oil, offering stable emulsions and promising industrial applications.

Crude oil sorption performance of native and acetylated Siamese senna seed pods

The recurring problem of oil spillage has directed research to the exploration of various agricultural wastes in order to discover new, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly oil sorbents. This research studied the viability of native and acetylated seed pods of Siamese senna as oil spill mop. SEM, BET, and FTIR analyses were employed to assess the adsorption tendency of the adsorbents for crude oil. Investigation of the oil sorption behaviors of the adsorbents involved batch sorption experiments. The SEM analysis revealed improvements in the surface morphology of the acetylated pods. The BET surface area increased from 265.2 m2/g to 335.0 m2/g after acetylation. The FTIR spectra of the oil-treated pods showed that the acetylated pods adsorbed more oil than the native pods. The Langmuir isotherm best described the sorption equilibrium for the adsorbents. Kinetic analysis showed that the sorption processes conformed to the pseudo-second-order model, and were controlled by film diffusion alone or in conjunction with other mechanisms. The results obtained in this work show that Siamese senna seed pods can be used for crude oil sorption from an aqueous medium. The improved oil sorption capacity of the acetylated pod shows that it has more potential to serve as a low-cost alternative for oil spill remediation than the native seed pod.

Magnetically separable sorbent based on activated carbon derived from a new precursor Rhizoclonium hookeri for facile oil spill clean-up

A huge quantity of synthetic toxic materials ends-up in water bodies causing long-lasting environmental and economic impacts due to catastrophic oil spill. Exploring marine algae as sorbent materials for oil spill remediation is a relatively new area and holds great potential. Herein, macroalgae Rhizoclonium hookeri (RH) derived magnetically recoverable RH-activated carbon (RHAC@Fe3O4) composite has been proposed as an innovative and robust strategy for oil spill clean-up. The application of RHAC@Fe3O4 composite was investigated for oil removal by varying time (10–60 min), dosage (0.2–1 g) and temperature (20, 30, 40 °C) to ascertain its optimal performance using both unused and used motor oil. Characterization studies showed that KOH activation resulted in developing pore structure and surface functionalities in the algal biochar. The percentage of oil uptake from simulated oil spill was over 90 % in 30 min at room temperature using 0.8 g composite. Moreover, Fe3O4 loading onto carbon material allowed magnetic separation as a convenient alternative to filtration for the recovery of oil laden composite. Apart from superior oil removal ability, synthesized composite demonstrated robust performance up to four cycles in synthetic sea water matrices. Comparative study revealed better oil sequestration efficiency of RHAC@Fe3O4 (93 %) as compared to its precursors, i.e. algal biochar (71 %) and AC (88 %). Based on these findings, it is advocated that designed RHAC@Fe3O4 composite being eco-friendly, economical and readily recoverable with enhanced oil uptake ability could potentially be an innovative platform for oil spill clean-up applications.

Enhanced Hydrophobicity and Oleophilicity of Modified Activated Carbons Derived from Agro-Wastes Biomass for the Removal of Crude Oil from Aqueous Medium

Crude oil spillage has tremendous environmental impacts and poses severe pollution problems worldwide due to the continuous activities and operations in the oil and gas sector. This has resulted in the urgent need for clean-up techniques such as the use of natural adsorbents which is considered a relatively low-cost, readily-available, efficient, eco-friendly, and easy-to-deploy mode of addressing oil spillage due to its high oil sorption capacity/efficiency, high oil selectivity, oleophilic, enduring, reusability and biodegradable properties. Empty palm fruit bunch and coconut coir were used as precursors to produce activated carbons for oil spill remediation. The influence of varying parameters was investigated using a batch experimental procedure resulting in the crude oil adsorption capacity increasing with a corresponding increase in contact time, initial oil concentration, temperature, agitation speed, and particle size but decreasing in adsorbent dosage. The combination of surface morphological modification and hydrophobicity enhancement resulted in significantly improved adsorption capacity for crude oil removal (2710.0 mg/g and 4859.5 mg/g for EPFBAC<SUB>LA</SUB> and CCAC<SUB>L.A</SUB> respectively), as evidenced by both FTIR and SEM analyses. The experimental isotherm data were analysed using various isotherm models and the best-fitted isotherm model was the Freundlich model with a correlation coefficient (R<sup>2 </sup>= 0.991 and R<sup>2 </sup>= 0.999) for EPFB<SUB>L.A</SUB> and CCAC<SUB>L.A</SUB> respectively. The kinetic behaviour of the adsorption process was best described by pseudo-second order with R<sup>2</sup> values of 0.970 and 0.999 for EPFBAC<SUB>LA</SUB> and CCAC<SUB>L.A</SUB> respectively while Boyd model revealed that the adsorption was controlled by an internal transport mechanism and film diffusion was the rate-limiting step. The crude oil adsorption was chemisorption and endothermic owing to the positive enthalpy values (ΔH<sup>o</sup> = 183.890 KJ/mol for EPFBAC<SUB>L.A </SUB>and ΔH<sup>o</sup> = 69.656 KJ/mol for CCAC<SUB>L.A</SUB>), the positive value of entropy suggested that the adsorption process was accompanied by an increase in the degree of randomness or disorder at the interface between the adsorbent and the adsorbate. A temperature rise led to a decline in Gibbs energy (ΔG<sup>o</sup>), suggesting that adsorption became more feasible and spontaneous at higher temperatures and the significant activation energies indicated the existence of a substantial energy barrier that must be overcome to initiate the reaction. The results showed the significant capability of the prepared adsorbents to be used as a low-cost, re-generable and eco-friendly adsorbent in oil spill clean-up and is recommended to exploit its usage on a large scale.

Used Cooking Oil-Derived Fluorinated Porous Polysulfide as a Sustainable Material for Oil Spill Remediation

Used Cooking Oil-Derived Fluorinated Porous Polysulfide as a Sustainable Material for Oil Spill Remediation

Impact of organic acid molecular length and structure on rock oil-wetting rapidity and stability

The oil-wetting properties of organic acids play a crucial role in various industrial applications, including enhanced oil recovery, oil spill remediation, surface modification, and so on. This study investigated the impact of organic acid molecular length and structure on oil-wetting rapidity and stability on sandstone and carbonate. Model oils prepared by dissolving organic acids in n-decane, and crude oil, were used as the oil phase. Their oil-wetting behavior was evaluated by contact angle values. The maximum molecular length of each organic acid was approximated based on its molecular structure. Our results indicate that organic acids change wettability much faster in carbonate rock than in sandstone. Longer organic acid molecules exhibit enhanced oil-wetting potential due to increased hydrophobic interactions with oil phases. Water film does not have a long-term impact on the oil-wetting process by organic acid on Indiana limestone. However, the existence of a water film largely inhibited the oil-wetting process for Indiana limestone in crude oil, and for Berea sandstone in crude and model oil. Furthermore, molecular structure, such as the presence of functional groups, significantly influences oil-wetting properties. Organic acids with an aromatic ring demonstrated a more stable oil-wetness against wettability alteration induced by surfactant treatment. Gemini surfactants with benzene ring(s) in the spacer removed aromatic organic acid more efficiently than surfactants without benzene ring. Overall, this study provides insights into the design and optimization of organic acids for applications requiring effective oil-wetting and oil-wetness stability, as well as the designing of surfactant structures with higher oil removal efficiency.

Fabricated pH-responsive sponge with switchable wettability for multitasking and controllable oil-water separation

pH-responsive smart materials with switchable wettability have a great potential application in bidirectional oil-water separation. In this work, a simple, low-cost and environmentally friendly strategy is developed to construct a pH-responsive melamine sponge (MS) with reversible wettability via polydopamine (PDA) modification followed by grafting long-chain alkanes with carboxyl (–COOH) and methyl (–CH3) groups. The as-modified sponge exhibits unique pH-responsiveness, that is, the water contact angle (WCA) is measured to be 144.9° under acidic and neutral environments, while the wettability is radically changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic under alkaline conditions. Moreover, in alkaline environment, the pH-responsive sponge can rapidly release the absorbed oil, demonstrating a controllable desorption performance. Also, the prepared sponge is utilized to accomplish controllable separation of various oil/water mixtures, as well as to effectively separate oil-in-water emulsions. Furthermore, after 50 cycles, the oil-water separation efficiency was still higher than 92 %. This smart wettability sponge has an extensive application prospect in controlled oil-water separation and on-demand oil-spill remediation.

Biomimetic structural aerogel derived from green tide enteromorpha-prolifera: Multi-sided unidirectional freeze casting and solar-driven viscous oil spill remediation

The development of environmental remediation materials from renewable biowaste, especially for the cleanup of viscous oil spills in an eco-friendly manner, marks a substantial advancement in functional materials. This study proposes a biomass aerogel (M−MCEP) transformed from Enteromorpha prolifera (EP) in green tides for solar-driven recovery of high-viscosity oil spills. Inspired by the lamella-bridge architecture of Thalia dealbata stems, a biomimetic structure with multi-domain, long-range aligned lamella-bridge interconnections is constructed by a multi-sided unidirectional freeze-casting technique. Multi-scale interface optimization between rigid photothermal fillers and soft lamellar layers achieves multiple reinforcements, providing aerogel with a perfect balance of elasticity and strength. The multidomain low tortuosity channels and photothermal effects enhance M−MCEP’s photothermal conversion (95.2 %) and thermal conductivity (0.3517 W/m·K), reducing oil flow resistance and achieving high oil retention efficiency (>92 %). Under 1 sun irradiation, M−MCEP rapidly heats to 67.3 °C, effectively reducing the viscosity of crude oil in situ, with a crude oil adsorption rate of 1843 mL/m2 within 30 s. Moreover, M−MCEP captures emulsified oil in oil-in-water emulsions through high-speed repeated oscillations, achieving a separation efficiency of 96.42–99.21 %. Renewable resources and unique structural designs provided by nature drive the development of advanced biomimetic aerogels for efficiently remedying catastrophic oil spills.

Synthesis of dicholesteryl organogelator as a green sorbent nanomaterial for oil spill remediation

In the field of global water purification, the issue of marine oil spills represents a significant challenge. The use of phase-selective organogelators (PSOGs) as sorbent materials in oil spill remediation is a promising solution due to their environmental adaptability and high absorption capacity. However, there are limited reports on PSOGs that can be used in powder form for rapid phase-selective gelation of crude oils. In this context, the development of innovative dicholesteryl derivatives as low-molecular-weight organogelators (LMOGs) offers a promising solution in powder form. These gelators are synthesized through a one-pot multi-component reaction as green synthesis method, which ensures high purity and eliminates the need for harsh conditions. The incorporation of cholesterol into the gelator structure demonstrate environmental adaptability. The exceptional sorption capacity was attributed to the structured 2D/3D networks observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hydrophobic properties of these gelators, as evidenced by a water contact angle of 118 degrees, enable them to efficiently gel various organic solvents at low concentrations (1% w/v) at ambient temperatures, without the need for heating–cooling cycles or co-solvents. The eco-friendly nature and efficient oil–water separation capabilities of these gelators in powder form represent a significant advancement in global water purification efforts.

Polyurethane Foam and Algae-Based Activated Carbon Biocomposites for Oil Spill Remediation.

This study investigates the incorporation of algae-based activated carbon into polyurethane foam to improve a biocomposite for gasoil sorption. The biocomposites were thoroughly analyzed using various techniques to examine the properties of both the blank foam and the algae activated carbon foam with a carbon content of 4.41 mass% and particle diameter of 500 µm. These techniques included Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and density analysis. The TGA analysis revealed that the biocomposites had an impact on the onset temperature (Tonset) of the foams. Higher concentrations of the biocomposites resulted in a decrease in Tonset from approximately 310 °C in the blank foam (PUF0) to 300 °C in the composite (PUF3B). The final residue percentage also decreased from around 20% in PUF0 to 10% in PUF3B. Density analysis showed that the apparent density of the foam increased from 0.016 g/cm3 in the blank foam to 0.020 g/cm3 in the biocomposite (PUF3B), while the real density slightly decreased from 0.092 g/cm3 to 0.076 g/cm3, indicating a reduction in overall porosity from 82.5% to 74.4%. All foams that were modified showed an increase in their ability to absorb gasoil in a PUF/gasoil/water system. The optimized biocomposite (PUF1B), with 1.14 mass% of 500 µm algae carbon, displayed the highest sorption capacity, starting at approximately 50 g/g at 1.5 h and increasing to 53 g/g over 72 h. The analysis of adsorption kinetics revealed that by utilizing adsorption isotherms, particularly the Langmuir isotherm, a more accurate fit to the data was achieved. This allowed for the prediction of the maximum gasoil adsorption capacity. This study aims to further develop, analyze, and utilize biocomposites made from algae-based activated carbon and polyurethane. These materials offer a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to cleaning up oil spills.

Hydrophobic and oleophilic lauric acid-grafted carbon nanotubes for recyclable efficient oil/water separation

This work demonstrates a novel nanoscale surface modification procedure to enhance the selectivity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in recovering oil from water. Herein, we developed a novel, cost-effective, and facile method to produce highly hydrophobic and superoleophilic lauric acid (LA)-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-LA) as an absorbent for effective oil spill remediation. The MWCNTs were first oxidized with sodium hydroxide to anchor hydroxyl groups on their surface (MWCNTs-OH) followed by LA grafting via an esterification reaction. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed the grafting of LA onto the MWCNTs' surface, and this treatment made the water contact angle (WCA) of MWCNTs-LA reach 145.26 ± 1.57°, thus showing excellent hydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. The as-prepared absorbent demonstrates good absorption selectivity and absorption capacity of 20.5–33.5 times weight gain for numerous organic solvents and oils. After 5 cycles of absorption-desorption tests, such highly hydrophobic MWCNTs-LA absorbent maintained high oil absorption performance, therefore displaying good reusability and desirable regeneration for practical uses. The MWCNTs-LA absorbent with superb hydrophobicity, superoleophilicity, proper selectivity, and acceptable reusability appears to be promising for the efficient separation and retrieval of spilled oils and organic solvents from water.

Microbial assisted date palm nanocellulose isolation and the fabrication of hydrophobic bioaerogel for oil absorption application

This study introduces a novel approach by utilizing Aspergillus niger for the isolation of nanocellulose from date palm sheath fibers (DPSF), achieving significant nano-scale reduction and high yield efficiency. The enzymatic breakdown by Aspergillus niger efficiently reduced the fibers' size, achieving an 81.3 % transition to nano-scale (<100 nm) after 96 hours, with an impressive 84 % yield using 72 hours of fungal treatment. The isolated nanocellulose demonstrated superior thermal stability and zeta potential value of −32.5 mV indicates a stable colloidal suspension due to the electrostatic repulsion between nanocellulose particles. Triethoxymethylsilane (TEMS) modification of nanocellulose aerogel significantly improved mechanical strength from 0.0194 to 0.03614 N/mm². Treatment with 5 % TEMS reduced water absorption from 41.7 g/g to 11.3 g/g, enhancing hydrophobicity (water contact angle 136.21°) and shifting material preference away from water. TEMS-treated samples showed increased absorption capacities of up to 44.3 g/g for cooking oil and 57.6 g/g for motor oil, highlighting improved compatibility with non-polar substances. These advancements underscore a sustainable solution for oil spill remediation, offering significant potential in environmental conservation and recovery efforts.

Integration of photo/magnetic responsive composite phase change materials with polyurethane sponge for sustainable and efficient cleanup of crude oil spills

The efficient remediation of viscous oil spills is still a global challenge in practice due to the poor fluidity caused by their high viscosity. The adsorbents with in situ heating characteristics are regard as potential candidate for rapid and efficient crude oil spills cleanup. Although solar-assisted heating is the cleanest and most energy-efficient way, the great variation of sunlight intensity with the season and location is an obstacle to its practical application. To promote oil adsorption and enhance energy utilization efficiency, we constructed a novel adsorbent with simultaneous photo/magnetic-thermal response, and importantly phase change materials (PCMs) as thermal energy storage unit were introduced into the adsorbents. The Co/CNTs with high graphitization as efficient sunlight absorbers can significantly improve the photothermal conversion capacity of the adsorbent, resulting in rapid oil adsorption under solar illumination. Besides, benefiting from the superior magnetic response of Co particles encapsulated in the carbon skeleton, the adsorbent also enables efficient oil adsorption under alternating magnetic field. Most importantly, thanks to the cross-connected network structure of CNTs derived from the carbonization of ZIF-67, the PEG was well anchored in the Co/CNTs particles, which allows the adsorbent to store thermal energy and release heat for sustained cleanup of the oil spills when the energy input is insufficient. The adsorbent integrates with superior photo/magnetic-thermal conversion and thermal storage functions provides an innovative solution for efficient and energy-saving remediation of crude oil spills and breaks new grounds of PCMs applications.

Eco-friendly MXene/enteromorpha prolifera biomass aerogel with excellent photothermal conversion and flame retardant properties for efficient separation of viscous oil/seawater mixture

Traditional adsorbents are often ineffective in cleaning up high-viscosity oil spills that cause harm to the marine environment. An efficient, safe and eco-friendly solution is urgently needed. Here, we prepare a superhydrophobic MXene/gelatin-enteromorpha prolifera biomass aerogel (H-MXene/G-EP) with excellent photothermal conversion and flame retardancy for solar-driven remediation of high-viscosity oil spills. The short-range aligned multidomain lamellar structure constructed through unidirectional freeze casting endows H-MXene/G-EP with compressibility and an adsorption capacity (63.7 g/g). Due to the excellent light responsiveness and full-spectrum high absorption of H-MXene/G-EP, it can reach a surface temperature 71.6 °C under 1 Sun (1.0 kW/m2), and an in-situ adsorption rate 367.40 g/h for viscous crude oil. The efficiency of separating O/W emulsions is up to 99.1%, which greatly broadens the range of applications for oil/water separation technology. Furthermore, the H-MXene/G-EP exhibits excellent flame retardancy, reducing the heat release rate by 89.59% and the total smoke production rate by 47.83%, respectively. This effectively reduces the probability of secondary marine fires. Thus, this novel biomass-derived aerogel provides a feasible and environmentally friendly solution for effective remediation of marine oil spills.

Used Cooking Oil-Derived Fluorinated Porous Polysulfide Materials for Oil Spill Remediation: A Waste-to-Wealth by Sustainable Initiative

Used Cooking Oil-Derived Fluorinated Porous Polysulfide Materials for Oil Spill Remediation: A Waste-to-Wealth by Sustainable Initiative

A review of the prospects, efficacy and sustainability of nanotechnology-based approaches for oil spill remediation.

Numerous marine oil spill incidents and their environmental catastrophe have raised the concern of the research community and environmental agencies on the topic of the offshore crude oil spill. The oil transport through oil tankers and pipelines has further aggravated the risk of the oil spill. This has led to the necessity to develop an effective, environment-friendly, versatile oil spill clean-up strategy. The current review article analyses various nanotechnology-based methods for marine oil spill clean-up, focusing on their recovery rate, reusability and cost. The authors weighed the three primary factors recovery, reusability and cost distinctively for the analysis based on their significance in various contexts. The findings and analysis suggest that magnetic nanomaterials and nano-sorbent have been the most effective nanotechnology-based marine oil spill remediation techniques, with the magnetic paper based on ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires standing out with a recovery rate of over 99%. The chitosan-silica hybrid nano-sorbent and multi-wall carbon nanotubes are also promising options with high recovery rates of up to 95-98% and the ability to be reused multiple times. Although the photocatalytic biodegradation approach and the nano-dispersion method do not offer benefits for recovery or reusability, they can nevertheless help lessen the negative ecological effects of marine oil spills. Therefore, careful evaluation and selection of the most appropriate method for each marine oil spill situation is crucial. The current review article provides valuable insights into the current state of nanotechnology-based marine oil spill clean-up methods and their potential applications.

Heat-driven all-weather oil spill cleanup by a multifunctional superhydrophobic carbonized sponge

Cleanup of crude oil spills generally faces challenge of high viscosity. Reducing it by virtue of photo-thermal or electro-thermal effect is considered promising to resolve this worldwide issue. However, constructing the photo-thermal or electro-thermal materials requires corresponding agents, leading to high cost and complex preparation process. Herein, a versatile, superhydrophobic, and magnetically responsive carbonized sponge (P-Fe3O4@CMS) is designed by pyrolysis and modification with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). This sponge owns selective oil absorption with the capacity of 45.3 to 88.5 g/g. Its surface temperature can rise to 247 °C with 8 V voltage and to 92 °C under 1.0 kW/m2 irradiation, respectively. The self-heating function benefits from electro-thermal and photo-thermal conversion of CMS itself, enabling declined crude oil viscosity and thus enhanced absorption speed. Besides, P-Fe3O4@CMS has brilliant compressibility, allowing oil recovery via extrusion. Pump-assisted continuous oil recovery is feasible to favor a high flux of 785 kg m−2h−1 under the synergistic effect of 8 V voltage and 0.5 kW/m2 irradiation, making it viable for saving energy and efficient oil recovery despite weather conditions. Given the simple fabrication process and cost-effectiveness with 24/7 accessible work, P-Fe3O4@CMS exhibits great potential for oil spill remediation.

Nano-welded carbon nanotube sponges for efficient oil spill remediation

Carbon nanotube (CNT) sponges are valuable for oil spill cleanup, yet their scalable production poses a notable challenge. This research presents an innovative and an energy efficient method to create CNT sponges from CNT sheets, enhancing their oil absorption capacity and mechanical durability. The method involves a direct foaming approach employing hydrazine hydrate and ethanol to induce porosity within densely arranged CNT films. Use of hydrazine generates voids in the CNT network and functions to reduce any surface oxygen functionalities, which impart it superhydrophobicity, as depicted by water contact angle of 142°. To enhance the mechanical properties of the CNT sponge, nanoscale welding is implemented using amorphous carbon, which resulted in 109% and 113% improvement in the ultimate compressive strength and modulus, respectively. The sponge demonstrated a remarkable oil absorption capacity exceeding 200 times its weight, along with an impressive absorption capability of 130 times for organic solvents like dichloromethane and chloroform, marking a substantial enhancement compared to existing alternatives. Moreover, the sponge's reusability was assessed through oil squeezing tests, retaining its performance across five cycles. The material's unique properties make it a promising solution for various environmental and industrial applications.

Robust superhydrophobic Fe3O4/PAN/PBA nanofibrous aerogel with photo/magneto-thermal properties for efficient all-weather cleanup of viscous crude oil spills

Developing efficient absorbents for the cleanup of highly viscous crude oil spills is of critical importance. The current light-to-heat/electric-to-heat methods to reduce the viscosity of crude oil were limited by the complicated preparationprocesses, weather conditions and potential risk of electrical leakage. Here, a robust superhydrophobic composite Fe3O4/PAN/PBA nanofibrous aerogel (NFA) with excellent photo/magneto-thermal performance for efficient all-weather viscous crude oil spill remediation was fabricated by integrating facile blend electrospinning and freeze-drying techniques. Due to its superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity (water contact angle of 151.3° and oil contact angle of 0°) and anisotropic microchannelstructure, the composite NFA exhibited rapid adsorption kinetics and ultra-high absorption capacity (54.4 − 97.1 g/g) toward various low-viscosity oils and organic solvents. Meanwhile, it displayed outstanding mechanical recyclability (84.07 % recovery after 200 cycles at 80 % strain) and reusability (86.74 % of theinitial capacity after 10 absorption-squeezing cycles). Notably, the composite NFA also showed excellent photo/magneto-thermal conversion efficiency, allowing it to achieve continuous and efficient cleanup ofcrude oil (recovery rate of 6.67 x103 kg m−3h−1) via peristaltic pumping. Therefore, this material holds great potential for all-weather cleanup of crude oil spills.