Hierarchical Al2O3/SiO2 fiber membrane with reversible wettability for on-demand oil/water separation

This work presents an effective method of fabricating hierarchical Al2O3/SiO2 fiber membrane with reversible wettability for on-demand oil/water separation. In this strategy, the superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic surfaces are fabricated by in-situ growing hierarchical Al2O3 nanosheets on the SiO2 fiber surfaces that can be used as water-removing materials for oil/water separation. Then, the superhydrophobic/oleophilic surfaces are obtained by surface chemical modification with sodium laurate, which can be used as oil-removing materials for oil/water separation. Interestingly, the reversible wettability transformation of Al2O3/SiO2 fiber membrane can be controlled by the annealing and modification treatment alternately. The as-prepared Al2O3/SiO2 fiber membrane, combining the advantages and overcoming disadvantages of two modes, achieves reversible wettability transitions and on-demand oil/water separation. In addition, the Al2O3/SiO2 fiber membrane shows a significant chemical stability and super-wettability even after five annealing and surface modification cycles, indicating its excellent durability. The separation efficiency in both oil-removing mode and water-removing mode is over 95% for various oil/water mixtures through multiple recycle separation processes. This work not only provides a simple and cost-effective method to fabricate separation membrane with reversible wettability, but also shows great potential in remediation of large-scale oil spillage or organic solvents discharge at different environmental conditions.