Hydrophobic Ti₃C₂T_x/TEMPO Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers Composite Aerogel for Efficient Oil-Water Separation

To address the pollution issues of industrial oily wastewater and catering industry wastewater, a series of Ti₃C₂T_x/TEMPO oxidized cellulose nanofibers composite aerogels with varying Ti₃C₂T_x content were successfully prepared using liquid nitrogen non-directional and directional freezing methods, with Ti₃C₂T_x and TEMPO oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF) as the main raw materials. The prepared samples were then hydrophobically modified using methyltrichlorosilane (MTCS) via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The results showed that the directional Ti₃C₂T_x/TOCNF composite aerogel had the most orderly SEM morphology. The hydrophobic Ti₃C₂T_x/TOCNF composite aerogels exhibited efficient adsorption separation capabilities, with an adsorption capacity ranging from 21.5 to 78.2 times their own mass. Notably, the oil absorption performance was optimal when the mass fraction of Ti₃C₂T_x was 33.3%. After five adsorption cycles, the adsorption capacity of M5C10 (with a mass ratio of Ti₃C₂T_x to TOCNF of 5:10) only decreased by around 11%. M5C10 exhibits highly efficient oil absorption performance, which is of considerable significance for the research on oil-water separation treatment of industrial wastewater, domestic wastewater, and sewage from the catering industry.