Issue 29, 2024, Issue in Progress

Micropatterned superhydrophobic meshes coated with low-cost carbon nanoparticles for efficient oil/water separation

Abstract

Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic meshes have gained considerable attention in oil/water separation in recent years. To fabricate such meshes, surface roughness features can be introduced, and the surface free energy can be lowered, preferably, by utilizing low cost, safe, and readily available materials. Herein, we report a novel approach for fabricating a superhydrophobic copper mesh using low-cost carbon nanoparticles embedded within surface micropatterns. To create the micropatterns, a femtosecond laser was employed. The fabricated mesh exhibited a water contact angle of 168.9° and a roll-off angle of only 5.9°. Additionally, the mesh was highly durable and effectively retained its superhydrophobicity during water jet impact and tape-peeling tests. After 50 cycles of the water jet impact test and 5 cycles of the tape-peeling test, the water contact angle reduced by only 0.3° and 2.3°, respectively. When tested for separating n-hexane/water mixtures, the mesh exhibited a separation efficiency of up to 98%. The separation efficiency remained essentially constant after 10 cycles of n-hexane/water separation. It was observed that the surface micropatterns played a significant role in achieving superhydrophobicity and imparting high durability to the mesh. Meshes lacking these laser-induced micropatterns showed higher wettability, lower durability, and decreased separation performance with repeated use.

Graphical abstract: Micropatterned superhydrophobic meshes coated with low-cost carbon nanoparticles for efficient oil/water separation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 May 2024
Accepted
12 Jun 2024
First published
27 Jun 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2024,14, 20426-20440

Micropatterned superhydrophobic meshes coated with low-cost carbon nanoparticles for efficient oil/water separation

M. Qasim, A. Ali and A. Alnaser, RSC Adv., 2024, 14, 20426 DOI: 10.1039/D4RA03275F

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