Electrospun Microfibrous Membranes Based on PIM-1/POSS with High Oil Wettability for Separation of Oil–Water Mixtures and Cleanup of Oil Soluble Contaminants

Abstract

A series of PIM-1/POSS microfibrous membranes were fabricated by electrospinning technology. The addition of POSS particles could greatly enhance the hydrophobicity, and a superhydrophobic−superoleophilic membrane was obtained as the POSS concentration increased to 40 wt %. The scanning electron microscopy images indicate that the incorporation of POSS particles results in formations of hierarchical structures on the surface of the PIM-1/POSS fibers. Both the intrinsic hydrophobic nature of POSS and the increase in the fiber surface roughness led to the superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. The 40 wt % PIM-1/POSS fibrous membrane could not only separate a wide range of immiscible oil−water mixtures with efficiencies higher than 99.95% but also separate water-in-oil emulsions with efficiencies higher than 99.97%. Furthermore, because of the ultrahigh intrinsic microporosity of the PIM-1 polymer, the PIM-1 fibrous membrane exhibited the ability to adsorb a large amount of contaminants such as oil red O and solvent blue 35 from oils. Therefore, these membranes are multifunctional and can be applied to treating immiscible water−oil mixtures, water-in-oil emulsions, and cleanup of oil soluble contaminants.

Electrospun polymer of intrinsic microporosity fibers and their use in the adsorption of contaminants from a nonaqueous system

“…The obtained fibrous membranes exhibited many outstanding characteristics, such as a high porosity, large surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio, and excellent flexibility; this makes them ideal candidates for adsorbents . In our previous work, we introduced the possibility of using PIM‐1 fibers to adsorb dyes from hexane for organic solvent recovery …”

“…20 In our previous work, we introduced the possibility of using PIM-1 fibers to adsorb dyes from hexane for organic solvent recovery. 21 In this study, smooth and uniform PIM-1 fibers, which have high adsorption capacities toward organic contaminants from a nonaqueous system, were successfully fabricated with electrospinning. The difference between the surface area and pore volume between the PIM-1 powder and PIM-1 fibers were investigated.…”

Preparation and Gas Separation Properties of Spirobichroman‐Based Polyimides

“…Wide angle X‐ray diffractometry (WAXD) was recorded in reflection mode at room temperature using a Bruker D8 Advance X‐ray diffractometer with CuKα (wavelength λ = 1.54 Å) radiation. The buoyancy method was employed to test the densities of polyimide films where ρ is density of sample, A is weight of sample in air, B is weight of sample in deionized water, ρ 0 is density of deionized water at the same temperature of the experiment, and ρ L is the density of air (0.0012 g cm 3 ).…”

Recent Progress of Polyurethane-Based Materials for Oil/Water Separation

“…[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] Commonly, the mechanical property of electrospun¯ber would decrease after absorption of the oil. Due to the good elastic and mechanical properties, electrospun PU membranes have practical application in oil/water separation.…”