Durable, water-cleanable, super hydrophilic coatings for oilwater separation under harsh conditions

Abstract EN

A simple, economical, and efficient method for fabricating stable hydrophilic/underwater super oleophobic coating under harsh conditions remains a significant challenge.

Here, by the hydrolysis of 3-(Methacryloyloxy) propyltrimethoxysilane (TMSPMA) on cotton fabric and the free radical polymerization of [2-(Methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfonic acid propyl) ammo nium hydroxide (SBMA) and TMSPMA, a super hydrophilic coating was fabricated.

The coating can withstand harsh environments, such as strong acid and alkali.

In addition, the coated cotton fabrics show an effective separation of surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions with extreme flux as high as 1500 Lm 2 h 1 only under gravity.

Importantly, the oil-contaminated coated cotton fab-rics can be cleaned only by water washing.

The outstanding properties of the coating including durability, recyclability and resistance to harsh environment, highlight its practical application in emulsion separation and oily wastewater purification.