Biomimetic superwetting CuSx-based composite mesh for wastewater treatment: Reversible oil/water separation, photocatalytic degradation and photothermal sterilization

Water pollutants, often containing insoluble oils, soluble dyes, and pathogenic bacteria in wastewater, have threatened ecosystem security and human health, making great challenges for water purification and wastewater treatment. Considering the variety and complexity of water pollutants in wastewater, the development of a versatile material for complex wastewater cleanup with one single-step procedure is highly desirable. Herein, a biomimetic superwetting CuSx-based composite mesh is constructed as a versatile platform for all-in-one water purification. In this procedure, the hierarchical micro/nanoscale CuSx structures are controllably generated on Cu mesh surface via a single-step solvothermal process, endowing CuSx-based composite mesh with special switchable surface wettability, efficient photocatalytic capability and excellent photothermal antibacterial activity. Owing to its special switchable surface wettability, this superwetting CuSx-based composite mesh firstly demonstrates the reversible oil/water separation with high separation efficiency, robust durability and good reusability. Moreover, such superwetting CuSx-based composite mesh simultaneously reveals the efficient photodegradation towards organic dye contaminants and the enhanced photothermal antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in water under light illumination. With respect to these features, this superwetting CuSx-based composite mesh can simultaneously clean up those complex contaminants from wastewater, showing the promising potential in advanced water purification and wastewater treatment.