Preparation of superhydrophobic electrospun MWCNT-SiO ₂ /PVDF composite membranes for oil adsorption

Abstract

Abstract In this work, an useful way to fabricate the superhydrophobic electrospun multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-SiO 2 /polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes for the oil adsorption was developed. First, the SiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared using the Stöber method followed by the modification with the trimethoxy (1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-heptadecafluorodecyl) silane (TMHFDS). Next, the nanofibrous MWCNT-SiO 2 /PVDF composite membranes were prepared by the electrospinning technique and then immersed into the TMHFDS solution to lower its surface energy. Furthermore, the structure of the TMHFDS-modified MWCNTs-SiO 2 /PVDF composite membranes were studied by the scanning electron microscope, the Fourier-transform infrared, the wide-angle x-ray diffraction, and the measurement results of the wetting property showed that the TMHFDS-modified MWCNTs-SiO 2 /PVDF composite membranes could be superhydrophobic with the highest water contact angle of 155°. The resultant TMHFDS-modified MWCNT-SiO 2 /PVDF composite membranes were able to absorb different oils with the adsorption capacities ranging from 4.2 g g −1 to7.2 g g −1 .