UV-Driven Antifouling Paper Fiber Membranes for Efficient Oil-Water Separation

Oil-water separation has received much attention worldwide due to increasing oily wastewater and frequent oil leak events. Herein, a superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic membrane (PF@PDA@TiO₂) is synthesized by polydopamine (PDA) anchoring TiO₂ nanowires on the surface of paper fibers (PF) via vacuum-assisted filtration technology for various efficient oil-water separations. The oil contact angle underwater of PF@PDA@TiO₂ is about 156°, revealing its favorable underwater superoleophobic property. Remarkably, the PF@PDA@TiO₂ affords a high separation efficiency of 99%. More importantly, the PF@PDA@TiO₂ displays ultraviolet-driven superior antifouling performance even after 80 cycles. We believe that the low cost and superior antifouling PF@PDA@TiO₂ will provide a striking application in oil-water separation.