Oil-water separation capability of superhydrophobic fabrics fabricated via combining polydopamine adhesion with lotus-leaf-like structure

By the combination of dual bionic on the superhydrophobicity of lotus leaf and the bioadhesion of mussel adhesive protein, the nanoparticles were strongly immobilized onto the surface of cotton fabric to form superhydrophobic and superoleophilic coating. The as-prepared fabric can be used as effective material for separating various oil/water mixtures. The separation efficiency can reach 99.0%, 97.6%, 98.1%, 96.0%, 94.2%, and 94.5% for toluene/water, n-hexane/water, chloroform/water, paraffin oil/water, linseed oil/water, and crude oil/water mixtures with volume ratio of 1 : 4, respectively. In addition, the obtained fabric still kept stable superhydrophobicity and high separation efficiency for oil/water mixtures after using repeatedly for 90 cycles or ultrasonic treatment. They also exhibited excellent chemical durability in harsh conditions of strong acidic and alkaline solutions. Owning to high separation efficiency, stable recyclability, low cost, scalable fabrication, and excellent durability, the as-prepared fabric can be considered as promising material for the separation of oil/water mixtures. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42614.