Modification of Polyurethane Sponge Based on the Thiol-Ene Click Reaction and Its Application for Oil/Water...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Environmental Engineering

Background:

• Oil spills and industrial wastewater pose significant environmental challenges.
• Effective and selective oil-water separation materials are crucial for remediation.
• Polyurethane (PU) sponges offer potential due to their tunable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, simple, and efficient method for preparing oil-water separation sponges.
• To synthesize a hydrophobic/oleophilic polyurethane sponge using thiol-ene click chemistry.
• To evaluate the oil absorption capacity, selectivity, and recyclability of the synthesized sponge.

Main Methods:

• A one-step synthesis utilizing thiol-ene click photopolymerization.
• Incorporation of polyethylene glycol diacrylate, pentaerythritol (mercaptoacetic acid) ester, and octadecyl methacrylate.
• UV light irradiation to induce polymerization on the sponge surface.

Main Results:

• The prepared polyurethane sponge exhibited excellent hydrophobicity and oleophilicity.
• High selectivity for oil removal from various oil/water mixtures was achieved.
• The sponge demonstrated significant absorption capacities (e.g., >21x for toluene, ~20x for vegetable oil).
• Good recyclability was observed over five adsorption-desorption cycles.

Conclusions:

• The thiol-ene click reaction provides an efficient one-step method for creating oil-water separation sponges.
• The synthesized PU sponge shows great potential for practical applications in oil spill cleanup and wastewater treatment.
• The material's high capacity and recyclability highlight its economic and environmental viability.