Fabrication of Superhydrophobic SA-CeO2@Cu Mesh and Its Application in Oil–Water Separation

CeO₂ was synthesized by the co-precipitation method on the Cu mesh substrate and modified the surface of CeO₂@Cu mesh by stearic acid (SA). The superhydrophobic behavior was ascribed to the combination of hierarchical micro-nanostructure of CeO₂ and the hydrophobic alkyl groups from SA. The SA-CeO₂@Cu mesh had antiacid and base stability and excellent durability as well as high separation efficiency. The separation efficiency can be up to 98.0% after separating 30 times.