Issue 10, 2015

A facile method to fabricate functionally integrated devices for oil/water separation

Abstract

In this paper, we present a facile method for the fabrication of a functionally integrated device, which has the multi-functions of the oil-containment boom, oil-sorption material, and water/oil-separating film, through a single immersion step in an ethanol solution of stearic acid. During the simple immersion process, the two dominant factors of superhydrophobicity, surface roughness and low-surface-energy coatings, could be accomplished simultaneously. The as-prepared functionally integrated device with superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity displayed a lower density than that of water, such that it could float on water and act as an oil-containment boom; an efficient oil-absorbing property, which was attributed to the capillary effect caused by micrometer-sized pore structures and could be used as oil-sorption materials; a high oil/water separating efficiency which was suitable for water/oil-separating film. In this way, the functions of oil collection, absorption, and water/oil separation are integrated into a single device, and these functions could work independently, reducing the cost in terms of energy consumption and being versatile for a wide range of applications.

Graphical abstract: A facile method to fabricate functionally integrated devices for oil/water separation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Jan 2015
Accepted
04 Feb 2015
First published
05 Feb 2015

Nanoscale, 2015,7, 4553-4558

Author version available

A facile method to fabricate functionally integrated devices for oil/water separation

Q. An, Y. Zhang, K. Lv, X. Luan, Q. Zhang and F. Shi, Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 4553 DOI: 10.1039/C5NR00026B

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