Facile fabrication of superhydrophobic Titanium dioxide-composited cotton fabrics to realize oil-water separation with efficiently photocatalytic degradation for water-soluble pollutants

Constructing functional filtration-membrane materials for effective oil-water separation and water further purification are of great significance not only to the environment but also to human health. In this work, we present a facile approach to fabricate TiO2-composited cotton fabrics with silanized surfaces by the immersion and spraying combination. The functionalized fabrics not merely exhibited the desirable superhydrophobic and oleophilic property towards the application of oil-water separation, but also synchronously performed the considerable photocatalytic activity for the degradation of water-soluble pollutants during the oil and water separating process. Moreover, the fabrics have the good self-cleaning ability. Importantly, the excellent performance of oil-water separation and photocatalytic degradation has been maintained through more than ten-cycles test, verifying the fabrics with the sustainability and stability. The chemical constituents, structures, morphologies, wettability and photocatalytic activity of the fabrics have been characterized by series of infrared spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum measurements. Our primary results provide the facile and promising strategy to fabricate superhydrophobic TiO2-composited cotton fabrics combined oil-water separation and photocatalytic degradation functions, which show great potential in the oil-contained wastewater treatment and environmental restoration.