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The present work describes the fabrication of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic reduced graphene oxide-coated cotton (rGO@cotton) by a facile one-step hydrothermal used method for oil-water separation. Results from X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis show the formation of a composite structure with the presence of an ultrathin coating of rGO on the cotton fibers. The contact angle (CA) between a static water droplet and the rGO@cotton surface in air was measured~162.9°, which suggests the formation of a superhydrophobic surface on the synthesized product. Moreover, the rGO@cotton showed excellent absorption capacity for oils where 1 g of rGO@cotton was able to remove~30-40 g of various oils in the first cycle from oil-water mixtures. The flexible rGO@cotton was reusable and demonstrated oil retention up to~35-50% at the tenth cycle using simple sorption-mechanical squeezing test. Overall, the present work identifies that the rGO@cotton is an efficient absorbent for effective separation of oil from oil-water mixtures.

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