PDMS/magnetic lignin sponge for oil/water separation

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2023-12, Vol.253, p.127368-127368, Article 127368
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yu-Qing, An, Qing-Da, Xiao, Zuo-Yi, Zhu, Kai-Ruo, Dong, Xiao-Ling, Zhai, Shang-Ru
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dual-functional; Lignin@Fe3O4 particles; Magnetic recovery; Oil/water separation; Super-hydrophobic
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127368

Recyclable, non-toxic, and degradable biological substrates contribute significantly to super-wetting surfaces. In this work, we prepared magnetic micro-nano super-hydrophobic surfaces through a robust solution with magnetic modified lignin particles as the supporting structure. A novel PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane)/magnetic lignin particle (lignin@Fe3O4)/PDA sponge composite was fabricated. Through dopamine (DA) self-polymerization, covalent deposition of magnetic lignin (ML), and PDMS silane modification, the magnetic super-hydrophobic polyurethane sponge composite (Sponge-P) was synthesized so that the Fe3O4 nanoscale microspheres wrapped with microscale lignin magnetic particles adhered to the sponge surface tighter and were barely dislodged. The as-prepared Sponge-P displayed excellent flexibility and a water contact angle of up to 152.2°. The super-hydrophobic sponge prepared with the proposed method was acid-base stable (pH = 2–12), self-cleaning, and suitable for high-salinity seawater. The magnetic super-hydrophobic sponge has good oil-water separation ability and can absorb 43 times its own weight of oil. In the meantime, due to the introduction of magnetic materials into lignin, we not only constructed micro-nanostructures to improve the surface super-hydrophobicity, but also made Sponge-P have the function of magnetic recovery, which has a unique advantage in treating oily wastewater. [Display omitted] •Synergy of PDMS and magnetic lignin@Fe3O4 particles to generate dual-functional super-hydrophobic and interface•Mechanistic insights into the assembly chemistry of dopamine and magnetic lignin•Magnetic recovery of oil–water separating materials saturated with adsorbed oil•Acid and alkali stability, self-cleaning ability, and test for high salinity seawater