Construction of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic nickel foam for separation of water and oil mixture

Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic films on nickel surface were successfully fabricated via a facile template-free, ammonia-evaporation-induced method. The mixture of Co( OH)2 and Co3 04 with nanowire structure was formed on a commercial nickel foam surface by immersing in a mixed solution of cobalt nitrate and ammonia. Subsequently, the film was modified with fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). The as-prepared nickel foam showed both superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties simultaneously. The water contact angle of the as-prepared nickel foam surface was approximately 156. The as-prepared nickel foam proved to be an excellent candidate for the separation of oil and water mixture. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.