A novel asymmetric superwetting filter prepared by easily mass-produced strategy for high-efficient and switchable water/oil filtration

Abstract

All-purpose materials with on-demand oil/water separation property have received broad attention recently. Herein, a filter paper (FP)-based filter with asymmetric wettability was designed and fabricated via simple combination of liquid phase reduction route with symmetry adhesion method. The fabricated filter exhibits underoil superhydrophobic (UOSHP) and underwater superoleophobic (UWSOP) property. Especially, the good underliquids lyophobicity is still maintained after tape peeling and corrosive, organic solvents treatments. By fixing the hydrophobic (HO) side of filter facing up, the water/light oil mixtures and oil-in-water (O-in-W) emulsions can be highly efficient separated, and the water/heavy oil mixtures and water-in-oil (W-in-O) emulsions are able to be separated with the HI side facing up. The separation efficiencies for water/oil mixtures and oil/water emulsions are higher than 98% and 99.1%, respectively. The study offers a new idea for the preparation of asymmetric superwetting materials with good stability and on-demand water/oil separation capability.