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Published on: March 21, 2016
One-Step Solvothermal Construction of a Heterostructured Ti(OH)4/BFC Membrane with Prewetting-Induced Switchable
Zhao Yuan1,2, Wei Geng1, Yundi Geng1
1Hebei Key Laboratory of Green Development of Rock and Mineral Materials, Engineering Research Center for Silicate Solid Waste Resource Utilization of Hebei Province, Institute of Basalt Fiber Materials, Laboratory of Rock and Mineral New Materials, School of Gemmology and Materials Science, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China.
None:
Compared to single-surface-specific wetting materials, prewetting-induced switchable wetting materials offer advantages of simple operation, energy efficiency, and powerful functionality. They can meet operational demands in complex environments and demonstrate considerable potential across various fields. Current prewetting-induced switchable wettability materials are constrained by the preparation materials, fabrication strategies, separation performance, and stability. This paper reports the preparation of Ti(OH)4/BFC prewetting-induced switchable wettability (superhydrophilic/submerged superoleophobic and superhydrophilic/submerged superhydrophobic) oil-water separation membranes via a one-step solvothermal method. Ti(OH)4 utilizes the intermediate (HOOC-CH2-OH) as a molecular bridge to bond with BFC, constructing a heterostructure that leads to prewetting-induced switchable wettability. The membrane showed high water and oil fluxes (∼104 L·m-2·h-1) and over a 99% separation efficiency for gravity-driven oil-water mixtures. The chemical bonds connecting Ti(OH)4 and BFC contribute to the strong mechanical stability of the separation membrane. Prewetting induces a stable liquid film on the Ti(OH)4/BFC surface, enabling durable and high-flux oil-water separation.
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