Highly efficient reusable superhydrophobic sponge prepared by a facile, simple and cost effective biomimetic bonding method for oil absorption

Abstract

Superhydrophobic sponges have considerable potential for oil/water separation. Most of the methods used for superhydrophobic modification of sponges require toxic or harmful solvents, which have the drawbacks of hazardous to environment, expensive, and complex to utilize. Moreover, the hydrophobic layer on the surface of sponge is often easily destroyed. In this paper, a highly efficient superhydrophobic sponge with excellent reusability was developed by using a facile, simple and environmentally friendly dopamine biomimetic bonding method. Different types of sponges, such as melamine, polyethylene or polyurethane sponge wastes, were used as raw materials to prepare superhydrophobic sponges, which possess the advantages of inexpensive and abundant. The effects of different dopamine polymerization time and different hydrophobic agent dosage on the hydrophobicity and oil absorption capacity of melamine sponges were optimized. The study results showed that the water contact angle of the superhydrophobic sponge could reach 153° with excellent organic solvent absorption capacity of 165.9 g/g. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic sponge retained approximately 92.1% of its initial absorption capacity after 35 reutilization cycles. More importantly, the dopamine biomimetic bonding superhydrophobic modification method can be used for different types of sponges. Therefore, a universally applicable, facile, simple and environmentally friendly superhydrophobic modification method for sponges was developed.

A novel naturally superoleophilic coconut oil-based foam with inherent hydrophobic properties for oil and grease sorption

“…However, these foams lack selectivity between oil and water. When utilized for oil spill cleanup, they also absorb large amounts of water, thereby limiting their performance and efficiency 3 . Recent breakthroughs have addressed this limitation via surface modification.…”

“…Recent breakthroughs have addressed this limitation via surface modification. However, this technique often uses harmful solvents and complex procedures 3 , 19 , which warrants higher costs and additional resources. Moreover, the conventional manufacturing process of PUFs employs petroleum-based polyols, rendering it even more ruinous to the environment 18 .…”

Facile Fabrication of High-Performance Superhydrophobic Reusable Oil-Absorbing Sponges

“…In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of accidental oil spills during oil production, transportation, storage and industrial discharges of oils/organic solvents, which pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems [1,2]. In this regard, the separation of oil-water mixtures is crucial and plays a vital role in the industry dealing with severe environmental pollution, such as oil spills, industrial oily wastewater discharges and oil recovery [3]. In the process of reducing the impact of oil pollution, the main challenge for researchers is to develop low-cost and high-performance oil absorption materials.…”

Engineering Metal–Phenolic Networks for Solar Desalination with Directional Salt Crystallization

“…However, most superhydrophobic modification strategies require toxic solvents or adhesives, and such superhydrophobic photothermal coatings suffer from relatively poor affinity to substrates (i.e., detachment) in underwater environments, especially under a high water flush pressure. [22][23][24] Therefore, designing an all-in-one evaporator via a simple preparation process that can exhibit robust photothermal coating layers, a high evaporation rate, high salt mitigation ability, and a low environmental impact is challenging but imperative.…”