Superhydrophobic Hierarchical Biomass Carbon Aerogel Assembled with TiO2 Nanorods for Selective Immiscible Oil/Water Mixture and Emulsion Separation

[Graphics] The hierarchical nanomaterials/biomass carbon aerogels are of great interest in various fields including oil/water separation and oil absorption based on the synergistic effects of mechanical strength, recyclability, and wettability together with the convenient separation. Here, we report the fabrication of the hybrid aerogel prepared simply by in situ growth of TiO2 nanorods on the surface of the biomass carbon aerogel under hydrothermal condition, followed by the surface modification in hydrogen atmosphere. The interconnected 3D network structure of hybrid aerogel could offer a passageway to transport oil and store the absorbed oils. The as-prepared aerogel could act as a membrane for separating oil from oil/water mixture, and it also could separate effectively surfactant-stabilized water-in-toluene emulsions. Furthermore, the aerogel exhibited excellent reusability and durability after intensive compression and repeated oil absorption, which provides a reliable approach for the development of sustainable and efficient absorbents toward environmental protection applications.