In-situ construction of MOFs-based superhydrophobic/superoleophilic coating on filter paper with self-cleaning and antibacterial activity for efficient oil/water separation

Superhydrophobic/superoleophilic paper with excellent self-cleaning and antibacterial activity was prepared via combination of in-situ growing Cu metal-organic frameworks (Cu-MOFs) nanoparticles on paper surface by simple layer-by-layer assembly together with subsequent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treatment under ambient conditions. The surface chemical composition, crystalline pattern, surface chemical functional group, surface morphology and wettability of the modified paper samples were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and water contact angle measurement. The synergetic effect of Cu-MOFs nanoparticles and PDMS was crucial and essential for achieving a superhydrophobic surface. The PDMS/(Cu-MOFs)5@paper not only showed self-cleaning, antibacterial activity and superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity, but also exhibited excellent oil-water separation performance for oil-water mixture and emulsion. In addition, this obtained superhydrophobic paper showed good mechanical and chemical durability. In summary, the proposed method provides a new perspective into preparing superhydrophobic paper for oil spills treatment and environmental remediation.