Preparation of superhydrophobic copper mesh for highly efficient oil-water separation

Micro-nano superhydrophobic structures were prepared on the surface of copper mesh using the electrodeposition method with choline chloride/ethylene glycol ionic liquid as the electrolyte. The contact angle of the copper mesh after electrodeposition reached 152° compared to pure copper mesh. The separation performance of the superhydrophobic copper mesh for oil-water mixtures was studied in this study. The results showed that the superhydrophobic copper mesh exhibited excellent oil/water separation performance for different types of oils, with a separation efficiency of over 95%. In addition, the superhydrophobic copper mesh demonstrated good durability and self-cleaning performance.