Superhydrophobic Silanized Melamine Sponges as High Efficiency Oil Absorbent Materials
Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2014 papers
Abstract
Superhydrophobic sponges and sponge-like materials have attracted great attention recently as potential sorbent materials for oil spill cleanup due to their excellent sorption capacity and high selectivity. A major challenge to their broad use is the fabrication of superhydrophobic sponges with superior recyclability, good mechanical strength, low cost, and manufacture scalability. In this study, we demonstrate a facile, cost-effective, and scalable method to fabricate robust, superhydrophobic sponges through the silanization of commercial melamine sponges via a solution-immersion process. The silanization was achieved through secondary amine groups on the surface of the sponge skeletons with alkylsilane compounds, forming self-assembled monolayers on the surface of sponge skeletons. This resulted in our ability to tune the surface properties of the sponges from being hydrophilic to superhydrophobic with a water contact angle of 151.0°. The superhydrophobic silanized melamine sponge exhibited excellent sorption capacity for a wide range of organic solvents and oils, from 82 to 163 times its own weight, depending on the polarity and density of the employed organic solvents and oils, and high selectivity and outstanding recyclability with an absorption capacity retention greater than 90% after 1000 cycles. These findings offer an effective approach for oil spill containment and environmental remediation.
Related Papers
- → SILANIZATION CHARACTERIZATION AND COMPOUND PROPERTIES OF SILICA-FILLED RUBBER CONTAINING A BLOCKED MERCAPTO SILANE(2016)18 cited
- → Influence of silane concentration on the silanization of multiwall carbon nanotubes(2013)61 cited
- → Optimization of the immobilization of bacterial spores on glass substrates with organosilanes(2016)4 cited
- Progress in Anti-corrosive Treatment of Metals by Silanization(2009)
- → Electrical Response of Silanization of Rubber Mixtures(2013)