In-situ thermally induced formation of an ultra-glossy hydrophilic surface for oil fouling prevention in TiO2@MXene membranes

• Published in: Separation and purification technology 2025-06, Vol.359, p.130599, Article 130599
• Main Authors: Sun, Yuqing, Dai, Chenye, Lu, Jian, Zhu, Yapeng, Deng, Yingxuan, Cai, Xianyin, Zou, Dong, Jing, Wenheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Oil fouling prevention; Oil water separation; robust TiO2@MXene membrane; Ultra-glossy hydrophilic surface
• ISSN: 1383-5866
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2024.130599

Oil droplets are inevitably deposited on the surface of membranes, resulting in membrane contamination during oily sewage separation. To effectively prevent oil fouling, a TiO2@MXene membrane with an ultra-glossy hydrophilic surface was designed via in-situ thermal induction to regulate the membrane surface structure and properties. Through high temperature-induced evolving the Ti valence and the functional groups of Ti3C2Tx, uniform TiO2 nanoparticles were generated in-situ on the Ti3C2Tx surface while altering the surface structure and properties, which considerably improved the hydrophilicity, underwater oleophobic properties, and surface finish of the membrane. Specifically, the TiO2@MXene membrane (MT600) exhibited a low water contact angle of 7.5° and a high underwater oil contact angle of 133.3°. Notably, the oil adhesion force of the membrane was as low as 0.0013 μN, outperforming most oil water separation membranes. Thus, the unique structure and surface properties endowed MT600 membrane with excellent oil retention (TOC removal efficiency of > 95 %) and antipollution ability (permeance decay rates of  90 %) in high-salt, highly acidic, and highly alkaline environments. This study opens pathways to realize ultra-glossy membrane surface for the efficient demulsification of small size emulsions and long-lasting, stable oil water separation.