Polystyrene Nanofibrous Membrane Infused with TiO2 Nanoparticles by a One-Step Electrospinning Process for Effective Oil–Water Separation

The challenge of oil pollution presents a substantial threat to both the environment and the economy. It is imperative to tackle this issue by creating innovative materials that can efficiently separate oil and water. In this study, we have successfully prepared a novel nanofibrous composite membrane by single-step electrospinning utilizing a polystyrene precursor embedded with titanium dioxide for the effective separation of water-in-oil emulsion. We analyze the morphology, water contact angle, absorption capacity, and oil permeating flux of the prepared composite membrane and compare the results with those of the pristine polystyrene nanofibrous membrane. The membrane embedded with TiO2 nanoparticles exhibited a high-water contact angle of ∼155 ± 1.5°, surpassing that of the pristine polystyrene nanofibrous membrane. We assessed the oil absorption capacity of the prepared membranes across five different oil–water mixtures, with the highest recorded absorption capacity reaching approximately 103 g of oil/g of the membrane. Furthermore, in separating W/O emulsion, the composite membrane attains a permeate flux of ∼1543 ± 59 L/m2h.