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Fluorine-free superhydrophobic coatings with pH-induced wettability transition for controllable oil-water separation
journal contribution
posted on 2016-01-01, 00:00 authored by Zhiguang Xu, Yan Zhao, Hong WangHong Wang, Hua ZhouHua Zhou, C Qin, Xungai Wang, Tong LinWe present a simple, environmentally friendly approach to fabricating superhydrophobic coatings with pH-induced wettability transition. The coatings are prepared from a mixture of silica nanoparticles and decanoic acid-modified TiO2. When the coating is applied on cotton fabric, the fabric turns superhydrophobic in air but superoleophilic in neutral aqueous environment. It is permeable to oil fluids but impermeable to water. However, when the coated fabric is placed in basic aqueous solution or ammonia vapor, it turns hydrophilic but underwater superoleophobic, thus allowing water to penetrate through but blocking oil. Therefore, such a unique, selective water/oil permeation feature makes the treated fabric have capability to separate either oil or water from a water-oil mixture. It may be useful for development of smart oil-water separators, microfluidic valves, and lab-on-a-chip devices.
History
Journal
ACS applied materials and interfacesVolume
8Issue
8Pagination
5661 - 5667Publisher
American Chemical SocietyLocation
Washington, D.C.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1944-8244eISSN
1944-8252Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2016, American Chemical SocietyUsage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
cottonoil−water separationpH-responsive wettabilitysuperhydrophobicsuperoleophobicScience & TechnologyTechnologyNanoscience & NanotechnologyMaterials Science, MultidisciplinaryScience & Technology - Other TopicsMaterials Scienceoil-water separationUNDERWATER SUPEROLEOPHOBICITYPVDF MEMBRANESAQUEOUS-MEDIACOATED MESHSUPEROLEOPHILICITYADHESIONSURFACETEMPERATUREABSORPTIONLIQUID