Superhydrophobic polycarbonate blend monolith with micro/nano porous structure for selective oil/water separation

Herein, a porous polycarbonate blend monolith with hierarchical micro-nano structure using fluorine-free and low-cost material via a simple thermally induced phase separation is successfully prepared. The unique micro-nano structure endows the monolith with high porosity (90%) and low density (93 mg/cm3), as well as strong superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 159°) and superoleophilicity. It shows high saturation adsorption capacity (6.25–10.58 g/g) and rapid adsorption rate (20 s reach adsorption equilibrium). Furthermore, outstanding environmental resistance in a variety of harsh conditions, such as contact angle varies slightly under various pHs (1–14) and the constant adsorption capacity at different temperatures (0–100 °C), is found. Additionally, the monolith displays good recycling performance for at least 10 cycles by simply pumping and evaporating, indicating a good application prospect in the field of practical oil-water separation.