Facile approach in fabricating superhydrophobic and superoleophilic surface for water and oil mixture separation

Metal copper mesh with superhydrophobic and superoleophilic surface had been successfully fabricated via a facile solution-immersion process. The hierarchical structure was prepared on the commercial copper mesh surface by etching with the nitric acid. After being modified by 1-hexadecanethiol (HDT), the as-prepared mesh indicated both superhydrophobic and superoleophilic property simultaneously. This as-prepared metal mesh could then be applied for oil and water mixture separation. The unusual wettability of the as-prepared mesh was stable in corrosive conditions, such as acidic, basic, and salt solutions. The solution-immersion method was simple, time-saving, and inexpensive and therefore exhibited great potential application.