Synthesis and characterization of UiO-66-NH2 incorporated PVA/cellulose nanofibers composite aerogel for enhanced oil–water separation and formaldehyde adsorption

The fabrication of high-hydrophobic aerogels represents an auspicious trajectory for economical and eco-friendly methodologies pertinent to oil–water separation and indoor volatile gas sorption. Notwithstanding, antecedent endeavors have engendered aerogels that markedly fall short of the requisite efficacy and mechanical resilience. Within the scope of the present investigation, we employ a novel composite aerogel, amalgamating a metal–organic framework, UiO-66-NH2, within a cellulose-predicated aerogel (CPU/A). This notable integration substantially contracts pore dimensions, augments the specific surface area and pore volume, and markedly bolsters the mechanical attributes of the pristine CP/A aerogel. The composite aerogel, specifically the CPU/A-0.10 variant comprising 10 wt% UiO-66-NH2, manifests superior oil–water separation performance and formaldehyde gas sorption capacity. This is characterized by a substantial enhancement in oil wettability and an appreciably elevated formaldehyde sorption capacity, relative to extant aerogel technologies. The superlative performance of the composite aerogel is maintained across multiple cycles, with considerable stability discerned over 10 oil–water separation cycles and 5 formaldehyde gas adsorption cycles. These findings underscore the potential of this composite aerogel as an efficacious, sustainable solution for large-scale oil spill remediation and indoor volatile gas sorption.