Highly stable superamphiphobic material with ethanol-triggered switchable wettability for high-efficiency on-demand oil-water separation

A large quantity of oil spills occurred have greatly endangered the natural environment and human survival health. Super-wetting materials with switchable wettability provide a good way to solve these problems efficiently and have been paid more and more attention. In this paper, we have successfully prepared an ethanol-triggered and highly stable superamphiphobic material with a switchable surface wettability by using zinc oxide (ZnO) particles and organic silane (PFDS) via a simple coating method. The superamphiphobic material can maintain high oil-repellent and water-repellent performances under various harsh conditions. Most importantly, the superamphiphobic material demonstrates the switchable wettability by ethanol treatment. In view of this fresh mechanism, it can separate various oil-water mixtures on-demand with high separation efficiency and flux. Surprisingly, the mixtures of highly corrosive liquids and oils can also be separated. In addition, the material also has excellent self-cleaning and anti-fouling capabilities and low surface adhesion, which can effectively avoid the pollution of pollutants in the air. All these advantages show that the as-prepared material can play a vital function in solving the related severe conditions of marine oil pollution and industrial wastewater.

Automated summary

The study successfully prepared an ethanol-triggered superamphiphobic material with switchable surface wettability, which can maintain high oil-repellent and water-repellent performances under various harsh conditions. The material demonstrates switchable wettability by ethanol treatment, allowing for efficient separation of oil-water mixtures.