ZIF-8/GO/PDMS modified cotton fabric to form a hierarchical-structure coating for fast oil/water separation

An efficient hydrophobic and lipophilic cotton fabric was designed for oil/water separation. ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework-8) nanocrystals were synthesized and subsequently uniformly mixed with a GO (graphene oxide) dispersion, and then the cotton fabric was immersed in a pre-crosslinked PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) solution and the mixture of ZIF-8 and GO to form rough and dense surface morphology and to achieve hydrophobic modification. Its surface morphologies, chemical structures, contact angles, and oil/water separation performances were characterized. The ability of prepared fabric with a separation efficiency was better than 95 % on average for various types of oil/water mixtures demonstrated the hydrophobic/oleophilic property, meanwhile, demonstrated a noteworthy degree of durability. It holds significant practical implications for the development of environmentally friendly and highly efficient materials for oil/water separation.