Nanoporous electrospun cellulose acetate butyrate nanofibres for oil sorption

Porous superhydrophobic nanofibrous networks based on cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) were prepared using electrospinning. The morphology and wettability of the prepared fibrous networks was studied using scanning electron microscopy and static contact angle measurements. The porous nanofiber networks exhibited superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity with a water contact angle of ∼165° and an oil contact angle of ∼0°. The porous nature of the nanofibres themselves is thought to lead to an increased surface area making them suitable for sorption applications. Due to their hydrophobic and oleophilic nature, they were tested for their oil sorption capacity. They demonstrated an oil sorption capacity of ∼60 g/g for motor oil, which is four times that of commercially used polypropylene. The nanofibrous mats also demonstrated excellent reusability, retaining ∼80% of their sorption capacity for up to 5 cycles of use.