Fabrication of a superhydrophobic membrane with effective oil/water separation and Fenton-like catalytic degradation of organic dyes

Abstract

Sustainable methods for oil/water separation are highly important for worldwide industries due to their significant impact on different applications, such as treating industrial wastewater and addressing marine oil spills. However, current superhydrophobic membranes have difficulties in effectively removing organic matter from complex oily wastewater while maintaining large-scale oil/water separation. Herein, a copper mesh-based membrane was fabricated by a simple oxidation process, followed by sulfurization, and subsequently modified with stearic acid to develop a multifunctional superhydrophobic membrane. The fabricated membrane showed a high oil/water separation flux of ∼35,515 Lm⁻²h⁻¹ with an efficiency of >99.6 %. Meanwhile, the membrane exhibited recyclability, self-cleaning capability, mechanical durability, and stability under harsh conditions. The oil/water separation performance of the membrane is comparable to that of other advanced copper-based superhydrophobic membranes. Additionally, the membrane demonstrated Fenton-like rapid degradation of organic dyes, achieving a substantial degradation rate of 98.2 % within 24 min at 25 °C. The effects of sample dosage, H₂O₂ content, initial pH of the solution, and reaction temperature were also investigated on the dye degradation. This work integrates catalysis with effective oil/water separation technologies, advancing the development of multifunctional membranes for wastewater treatment.