Switchable CAU-10-H mesh membrane for on-demand separation of immiscible oil/water mixtures and emulsions

There remains a great challenge to develop a switchable and feasible membrane for integrate reversible separation of oil/water mixtures. Herein, a highly-quality CAU-10-H mesh membrane with switchable superwettability was fabricated via solvothermal synthesis for on-demand oil/water separation. The CAU-10-H membrane exhibited under-liquid dual superlyophobicity due to the hierarchical micro-/nanostructures constructed by interpenetrating CAU-10-H crystals grown on the mesh. Meanwhile, the secondary growth time affecting the wetting behavior of the membrane is studied. More importantly, the membrane can achieve both immiscible oil/water separation and emulsion separation with high separation flux and high efficiency (>99.9%). Moreover, the membrane shows an excellent anti-corrosive property in various harsh environment. The present development would provide novel insights into the rational fabrication of MOF-based membranes for on-demand oil/water separation.