Advances in the application of superhydrophobic fabric surfaces for oil-water separation and extension of functionalization

Abstract

In recent years, the ecological and environmental problems caused by the frequent occurrence of chemical spills have become more and more serious, and the oil-water separation technology has received more and more attention. Superhydrophobic fabric surface construction has attracted much attention in the field of oil-water separation due to the special surface wettability. However, its lack of functionalisation hinders the wide application of fabrics in the field of oil-water separation. In order to build superhydrophobic fabric surfaces that can be adapted to various environments, researchers are constantly optimising materials and preparation techniques. Therefore, endowing superhydrophobic fabrics with multifunctionality will further expand the application scenarios in the field of oil-water separation. This paper reviews the various techniques used in recent years to construct fabric superhydrophobic surfaces and discusses how the extension of various functions has contributed to oil-water separation research. We mainly classify the current superhydrophobic fabric surface preparation techniques and the preparation schemes of functional fabrics, summarise the currently available applications of functional features for oil-water separation, and then present our viewpoints. Finally, the prospects for the application of superhydrophobic fabric surfaces are outlined.