One-pot preparation of superhydrophobic lignocellulose composites and their oil-water separation properties

Lignocellulose is a kind of renewable material with stable structure and abundant reserves. The superhydrophobic lignocellulose composites prepared by one-pot method in this study had the advantages of pollution-free, stable structure and simple processes. The prepared superhydrophobic lignocellulose composites exhibited superhydrophobic-superoleophilic wettability, with a water contact angle (CA) of 157° ± 3.6° and an oil CA of about 0°. Abrasion and ultraviolet (UV) radiation experiments demonstrated that the prepared composites had good mechanical stability and UV resistance. In addition, the composites presented an ultra-fast oil absorption rate and high oil-water separation efficiency of more than 96% for various types of oil-water mixtures. And the maximum oil flux was greater than 6500 L·m−2h−1bar−1. Such superhydrophobic lignocellulose composites hold great application prospects in the field of oil-water separation.