Mesh membranes coated with zirconium metal-organic framework nanosheets of optimized morphology for oil-water separation

Fabrication of mesh membranes coated with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of optimized surface properties (e.g., water wettability) is highly desired for efficient oil-water separation. We herein report the synthesis of one type of 2D Zr-MOF nanosheets, i.e., NUS-8-NH2, of desired water wettability by morphological modulation. In addition, we provide a molecular understanding of the morphology-dependent wetting behavior by mesoscopic simulations. The stainless steel mesh membranes coated with vertically grown NUS-8-NH2 nanosheets demonstrate excellent oil-water separation performance with no noticeable performance change after 50 times of continuous separation operations. Moreover, the mesh membranes exhibit excellent anti-corrosive properties under aqueous solutions of different pH values (pH = 1.1-11.1) and emulsified oil owing to the high chemical stability of the NUS-8-NH2 coating. Accordingly, these results indicate the potential of NUS-8-NH2 for practical oil-water separation.