title: Smart Fiber Membrane for pH-Induced Oil/Water Separation.
abstract: Wastewater contaminated with oil or organic compounds poses threats to the environment and humans. Efficient separation of oil and water are highly desired yet still challenging. This paper reports the fabrication of a smart fiber membrane by depositing pH-responsive copolymer fibers on a stainless steel mesh through electrospinning. The cost-effective precursor material poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PMMA-b-P4VP) was synthesized using copper(0)-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization. The pH-responsive P4VP and the underwater oleophilic/hydrophilic PMMA confer the as-prepared membrane with switchable surface wettability toward water and oil. The three-dimensional network structure of the fibers considerably strengthens the oil/water wetting property of the membrane, which is highly desirable in the separation of oil and water mixtures. The as-prepared fiber membrane accomplishes gravity-driven pH-controllable oil/water separations. Oil selectively passes through the membrane, whereas water remains at the initial state; after the membrane is wetted with acidic water (pH 3), a reverse separation is realized. Both separations are highly efficient, and the membrane also exhibits switchable wettability after numerous cycles of the separation process. This cost-effective and easily mass-produced smart fiber membrane with excellent oil-fouling repellency has significant potential in practical applications, such as water purification and oil recovery.
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Jin-Jin
authors: JJ
authors: Li
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Yin-Ning
authors: YN
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
authors: Zheng-Hong
authors: ZH
authors: Luo
mesh_terms: D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D009821:Oils; D011108:Polymers; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water
keywords: electrospun fiber membrane; oil wettability; oil/water separation; pH-responsive; smart surface; water wettability