Stainless steel mesh supported TiO2 nanowires membrane with ultra-high flux for separation of oil-in-water mixtures and emulsions

A stainless steel mesh supported TiO2 nanowires membrane is prepared by heating hydrogen titanate nanowires deposited on stainless steel mesh. The stainless steel mesh supported TiO2 nanowires membrane exhibits superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic property. The water contact angles in air of the stainless steel mesh supported TiO2 nanowires membrane is 0° and the underwater oil contact angles (gasoline, n-hexadecane, hexamethylene and methylbenzene) are >150°. Both of surfactant-free oil-in-water mixtures and surfactant-stabilized emulsions are separated with a high permeation flux of >106 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and a separation efficiency of >99.1%. The stainless steel mesh supported TiO2 nanowires membrane exhibits good resistant to fouling, and the possible organic pollutants are easy to be removed by heat treatment and the superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic property is recovered.