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In this study, various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water-contact-angle goniometry (WCAG), were used to characterize the crystalline structure and morphological properties of terbium-doped cerium magnesium aluminate (Ce0.67Tb0.33MgAl11O19 or CMAT) in powder form. The results demonstrated that CMAT was successfully synthesized with a particle size of less than 5 µm and a fully evident distribution of elements, as revealed by the SEM images. This was further confirmed by the XRD and HRTEM images. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of all necessary components in CMAT. Additionally, WCAG results showed that the contact angle of CMAT was more hydrophilic with a value of 8.4°. To evaluate its performance, CMAT particles were dispersed in a Polyethersulfone (PES) solution and used to modify a PES ultrafiltration membrane through a phase-inversion method. The resulting membranes were characterized by SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), WCAG, and permeability performance and fouling experiments. The addition of CMAT to the PES membranes did not have a significant effect on the structure of the SEM images of the top layer and cross-section of surface properties. However, increasing the concentration of CMAT improved the membrane surface roughness in AFM, and the modified membranes had the ability to resist fouling. The addition of CMAT did not lead to significant energy loss, indicating that the heat flux loss observed can indeed be explained by the amount of C-OH on the PES membrane's surface. The contact angle of the membranes became more hydrophilic with increasing concentration of CMAT from PES G0 to PES G7. The PES origin membrane showed a higher permeation than the membranes mixed with CMAT, and the modified membranes with CMAT displayed significant fouling resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel polymer brush-grafted ZnO-modified cotton was prepared with super hydrophobicity. • The modified cotton showed a high water contact angle of 165° with increased tensile strength. • The modified cotton exhibited enhanced abrasion, acid and alkali resistance. • The modified cotton exhibited an interesting temperature "switch" property. A novel super-hydrophobic cotton material was fabricated via the grafting of PGMA polymer brush and the subsequent immobilization of ZnO nanoparticles and octyltriethoxysilane (OTES). The modified cotton showed a high water contact angle (WCA) of above 151° for all the water droplet with the pH ranging from 1 to 14, and was stable (WCA > 150°) in ammonia or acetic anhydride solutions. In addition, the tensile strength of the modified cotton was 2.05 times that of the original one. However, little change in the superhydrophobicity (WCA > 150°) was observed even after rubbing the modified cotton with 50 g weight for a thousand times. Furthermore, the modified cotton showed the interesting temperature "switch" phenomenon, which endowed the change of the wettability with the change of the temperature. The modified cotton material exhibited enhanced oil–water separation performance with good mechanical stability, pH and abrasion resistance, as well as the "switch" property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of multifunctional super hydrophobic cotton materials for oil–water separation and biological activities has attracted significant research interest. In the present study, a robust, fluorine-free, durable and recyclable modified cotton fabric was created by graft polymerization and coating techniques. The surface was grafted with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA), subsequently aminated with diethylenetriamine (DETA), and then immobilized with Ag to obtain CF@GMA@DETA(Ag). Moreover, Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was coated on CF@GMA@DETA(Ag) for super hydrophobicity to obtain the modified cotton fabrics (CF@GMA@DETA(Ag)/PDMS). The water contact angle (WCA) reached 155° ± 1.5°. The modified cotton material had excellent oil–water separation efficiency. Meanwhile, the modified cotton material also has outstanding recyclability and stability. With Ag modification, the modified cotton material also showed impressive antibacterial properties. Furthermore, oil–water separation efficiency was generally higher than 97% in artificial seawater, which offers a possible application to separate oil and water in seawater. These properties render the as-prepared cotton fabric a promising material with potential applications. [Display omitted] • A robust cotton fabric containing Ag and PDMS prepared via graft polymerization and coating. • Impressive oil-water separation efficiency in artificial seawater. • High super hydrophobicity (water contact angle over 150°) and recycling times (50 times). • Impressive antibacterial activities and resistence to both acid and alkali. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worldwide shortage of clean water is a well-recognized challenge, moreover, the water system is undergoing serious oil pollution. Due to the superior separation efficiency and cost-effectiveness, membrane separation technology has gained prominence for treating oily wastewater. Nevertheless, its wider adoption is largely hindered by the persistent issue of membrane fouling. Recently, hydrophilic modification offers a promising solution to mitigate this issue, and proven to be both simple and effective. In this study, MXene-MOF composite membranes with photocatalytic self-cleaning properties were constructed by using self-assembly techniques. The membrane flux is 2534.89 ± 13.63 L m⁻2 h⁻1 bar⁻1, with separation efficiency exceeding 99.7 %. Notably, the water contact angle drops below 5° within 5 s, attributed to the hydroquinone-functionalized coating on the BIC@MIL-101(Fe) surface, effectively preventing oil adhesion onto the membrane surface. The incorporation of functionalized BIC@MIL-101(Fe) nanoparticles further improves the membrane's photocatalytic self-cleaning performance, furtherly enhancing its anti-fouling capabilities. Following 10 cycles of water cleaning and photocatalytic self-cleaning experiments, high water flux and separation efficiency are maintained, with a flux recovery rate ≥90 %. The anti-fouling mechanism of the membrane is further elucidated using the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory. The current findings highlight the considerable potential of MXene-MOF composite membranes for effectively treating oily wastewater. [Display omitted] • MXene-BIC@MIL-101(Fe) membrane with photocatalytic self-cleaning properties were fabricated using self-assembly techniques. • These membranes are utilized to achieve highly efficient oil-water separation capabilities (≥99.7 %). • Catechol modified BIC@MIL-101(Fe) improved the hydrophilicity of the composite membrane and enhanced its light absorption capacity. • The excellent photocatalytic self-cleaning ability enables the composite membrane to maintain a flux recovery rate of ≥90 % after multiple cycles. • Composite membrane maintains stable separation efficiency after multiple cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]