Smart anti-fouling and self-repairing polymer brushes for efficient oil–water separation

Abstract

The increasing water pollution problem poses a demand for oil–water separation materials, but preparing separation materials with high efficiency and excellent durability remains a great challenge. In this work, we use a diblock polymer brush of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) based on cotton fabric to prepare oil–water separation membranes with high efficiency, good durability, and intelligent self-repairing properties. Lubricating PDMS brushes reduces the fouling adhesion due to its low surface energy and high flexibility. pH-responsive PDMAEMA brushes provide good hydrophobicity and an intelligent self-repairing effect. The prepared Co-PDMS-PDMAEMA has high oil flux (>30,000 L m⁻² h⁻¹) and high separation efficiency (>99%) even after 10 cycles and its surface character can be recovered under acidic conditions. Overall, the modified cotton fabric made by such a versatile technique is promising in oil–water separation.