Superhydrophobic membrane: progress in preparation and its separation properties

Abstract Superhydrophobic membrane that is highly resistant to wetting by aqueous solution has gained great attention because of its potential to be applied in many emerging membrane processes such as membrane gas absorption (MGA) and membrane distillation (MD). Numerous approaches have been proposed to obtain membranes with superhydrophobic surface from materials with various degrees of hydrophobicity. This paper then reviews the progress in superhydrophobic membrane preparation and its separation properties. A brief description of superhydrophobicity is firstly presented. Preparation methods of the superhydrophobic membrane are subsequently reviewed, including direct processing method and surface modification of the existing membrane. Finally, the separation properties and challenges of superhydrophobic membranes are discussed. This article could provide an insight for further development of superhydrophobic membrane.