Air and water pollution pose an enormous threat to human health and ecosystems. In particular, particulate matter (PM) and oily wastewater can cause serious environmental and health concerns. Thus, controlling PM and oily wastewater has been a great challenge. Various techniques have been reported to effectively remove PM particles and purify oily wastewater. In this article, we provide a review of the recent advancements in air filtration and oil/water separation using two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) bulk materials. Our review covers the advantages, characteristics, limitations, and challenges of air filters and oil/water separators using 2D and 3D bulk materials. In each section, we present representative works in detail and describe the concepts, backgrounds, employed materials, fabrication methods, and characteristics of 2D and 3D bulk material-based air filters and oil/water separators. Finally, the challenges, technical problems, and future research directions are briefly discussed for each section.
Biomimetic fabrication of superhydrophobic loofah sponge: robust for highly efficient oil–water separation in harsh environments
