One-Pot Fabrication of Superhydrophilic/Underwater Superoleophobic Membrane Based on Mussel-Inspired Chemistry for High-Efficiency Oil-Water Separation

Membrane separation technology is attracting a broad spectrum of attention because of its low energy consumption and superior availability in oily wastewater treatment. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes play an important role in membrane separation field. Herein, a kind of superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic nanoparticles modified PVDF membrane based on mussel-inspired chemistry was prepared via a one-pot method. This method applied the Michael addition/Schiff base reactions between dopamine (DA) and alkoxy hydrolysis of (3-Aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APTMS). The water contact angle (WCA) decreased from 117 degrees to 12.6 degrees after the modification. The resultant superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic membrane exhibited the outstanding water flux (12280.4L m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1)), which was a sixfold increment compared to Pristine PVDF. Besides, the resultant membranes showed the effective separation of various oil-water emulsions (> 98%), and a high recoverability in multiple-iterations presented the membrane possessing the performance of persistent separation. With the simplicity of one-pot method preparation, outstanding performance, and environmental friendliness, this work provided a potential strategy to large-scale modified membrane materials for the treatment of oily wastewater.

Automated summary

Membrane separation technology is gaining attention for its low energy consumption and excellent availability in treating oily wastewater. This study prepared a superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic nanoparticles modified PVDF membrane using mussel-inspired chemistry. The modified membrane showed outstanding water flux and effective separation of oil-water emulsions, with the potential for large-scale application in oily wastewater treatment.