scholarly journals Ultralight super-hydrophobic carbon aerogels based on cellulose nanofibers/poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene oxide (CNFs/PVA/GO) for highly effective oil–water separation

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 508-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoyang Xu ◽  
Huan Zhou ◽  
Sicong Tan ◽  
Xiangdong Jiang ◽  
Weibing Wu ◽  
...  

With the worsening of the oil-product pollution problem, oil–water separation has attracted increased attention in recent years. In this study, a porous three-dimensional (3D) carbon aerogel based on cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by a facile and green approach. The resulting CNF/PVA/GO aerogels were synthesized through an environmentally friendly freeze-drying process and then carbonized to yield CNF/PVA/GO carbon aerogels with low density (18.41 mg cm−3), high porosity (98.98%), a water contact angle of 156° (super-hydrophobic) and high oil absorption capacity (97 times its own weight). The carbonization treatment of the CNF/PVA/GO aerogel not only improved the hydrophobic properties but also enhanced the adsorption capacity and specific surface area. Given the many good performance characteristics and the facile preparation process of carbon aerogels, these materials are viable candidates for use in oil–water separation and environmental protection.

Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajo Yagoub ◽  
Liping Zhu ◽  
Mahmoud H. M. A. Shibraen ◽  
Ali A. Altam ◽  
Dafaalla M. D. Babiker ◽  
...  

The complex aerogel generated from nano-polysaccharides, chitin nanocrystals (ChiNC) and TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TCNF), and its derivative cationic guar gum (CGG) is successfully prepared via a facile freeze-drying method with glutaraldehyde (GA) as cross-linkers. The complexation of ChiNC, TCNF, and CGG is shown to be helpful in creating a porous structure in the three-dimensional aerogel, which creates within the aerogel with large pore volume and excellent compressive properties. The ChiNC/TCNF/CGG aerogel is then modified with methyltrichlorosilane (MTCS) to obtain superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity and used for oil–water separation. The successful modification is demonstrated through FTIR, XPS, and surface wettability studies. A water contact angle of 155° on the aerogel surface and 150° on the surface of the inside part of aerogel are obtained for the MTCS-modified ChiNC/TCNF/CGG aerogel, resulting in its effective absorption of corn oil and organic solvents (toluene, n-hexane, and trichloromethane) from both beneath and at the surface of water with excellent absorption capacity (i.e., 21.9 g/g for trichloromethane). More importantly, the modified aerogel can be used to continuously separate oil from water with the assistance of a vacuum setup and maintains a high absorption capacity after being used for 10 cycles. The as-prepared superhydrophobic/superoleophilic ChiNC/TCNF/CGG aerogel can be used as a promising absorbent material for the removal of oil from aqueous media.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 625
Author(s):  
Qianqian Shang ◽  
Jianqiang Chen ◽  
Yun Hu ◽  
Xiaohui Yang ◽  
Lihong Hu ◽  
...  

A facile and environmental-friendly approach was developed for the preparation of the cross-linked nanocellulose aerogel through the freeze-drying process and subsequent esterification. The as-prepared aerogel had a three-dimensional cellular microstructure with ultra-low density of 6.05 mg·cm−3 and high porosity (99.61%). After modifying by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HTMS), the nanocellulose aerogel displayed stable super-hydrophobicity and super-oleophilicity with water contact angle of 151°, and had excellent adsorption performance for various oil and organic solvents with the adsorption capacity of 77~226 g/g. Even after 30 cycles, the adsorption capacity of the nanocellulose aerogel for chloroform was as high as 170 g/g, indicating its outstanding reusability. Therefore, the superhydrophobic cross-linked nanocellulose aerogel is a promising oil adsorbent for wastewater treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 1540-1553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Ma ◽  
Weihui Zhu ◽  
Patrick Osei Lartey ◽  
Wen Qin

To exploit new adsorbents for oil-spill cleanup, a superhydrophobic material was fabricated by hightemperature reduced graphene oxide (HRGO) coated on commercial polyurethane (PU) sponge via facile dip-coating process. Compared with chemical reagent reduced graphene oxide, the graphene showed expanded sheets and vast surface area, which ensured the water contact angle of this synthesized sponge reached 150.0±2.5°. In order to break the boundary of poor adhesion of graphene on sponge skeleton, a simple approach of sealed thermal treatment was adopted in our work. And then the high-temperature reduced graphene oxide/polyurethane sponge treated with binary flourine-free organosilanes solution showed superhydrophobicity with high water contact angle (162.4±1.0°). Silanes addition also endowed the resultant sponge with enhanced interfacial adhesion on PU skeleton owing to interconnected structure. The as-prepared sponge displayed excellent adsorption capacity, which was 48–74 times of its own weight for different organic solvents and oils, and no decrease of the adsorption capacity was observed after 20 cycles. Besides, for the very sticky oil, the Joule-heat generated in the sponge by applied voltage could reduce the viscosity of oil. With the assistance of Joule-heat, the silane modified high-temperature reduced graphene oxide/polyurethane sponge achieved effective oil-water separation and greatly speeded up the separation efficiency. Additionally, whether in various temperature or corrosive conditions, the superhydrophobicity of the sponge almost remained stable, which was promising for oil/water treatment.


2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Runan Gao ◽  
Ying Shang ◽  
Peng Jiao ◽  
Yue Jiao ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
...  

The novel wettability switchable cellulose nanofiber- (CNF-) based aerogel was conveniently prepared by polydopamine mediated composition of CNF and n-dodecanethiol. The wettability of aerogels can be controlled by adjusting the PDA and n-dodecanethiol loading content, which leads to a variation of water contact angle from 0-149°. The PDA was coated on cellulose nanofibers via hydrogen bonds and then n-dodecanethiol was anchored onto the scaffolds by Michael addition reaction, which was revealed by XPS and FTIR spectra. The composite aerogel can selectively absorb a series of oily liquids from the oil/water mixture, with the maximum absorption capacity of 68 g/g. This work presented a facile strategy to prepare wettability switchable CNF-based heterogenous aerogel and exhibited the potential of the composite aerogel for oil/water separation.


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