Fabrication of superhydrophilic–underwater superoleophobic inorganic anti-corrosive membranes for high-efficiency oil/water separation

The issue of oil/water separation has recently become a global concern due to the frequency of oil spills and the increase in industrial waste water. Thus, membrane-based materials with unique wettability are desired to separate both of these from a mixture. Nevertheless, the fabrication of energy efficient and stable membranes appropriate for the separation process remains challenging. Herein, synergistic superhydrophilic–underwater superoleophobic inorganic membranes were inventively created by a maneuverable galvanic displacement reaction on copper mesh. The “water-loving” meshes were then used to study gravity driven oil–water separation, where a separation efficiency (the ratio of the amount of oil remaining above the membrane after the separation process to the amount of oil in original mixture) of up to 97% was achieved for various oil–water mixtures, and furthermore the wetting properties and separating performances were maintained without further attenuation after exposure to corrosive environments. Notably, the “repelling-oil” mode can switch to a superhydrophobic mode which acts as a supplementary “oil slick absorbing” material floating above the water surface and has potential in tackling oil slick clean-up issues, in comparison to the former mode which possesses better “separation ability”. In addition, the original “repelling-oil” state can be reinstated with ease. The novel method involving a “one-cyclic transformation course” abandons extra chemical addition. The facile and green route presented here acts as an excellent test for the fabrication of a dual-functioning membrane with potential use in efficient oil–water separation, even in harsh environments, and off-shore oil spill cleanup.