A review of superwetting membranes and nanofibers for efficient oil/water separation.

Human activities are producing increasing amounts of oily water. Therefore, methods for oil/water separation are attracting great attention. Membranes, including nanofibers for oil/water separation based on superwetting surfaces have advantages of low cost, high efficiency, and environmental friendliness. In addition to the common superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces, other novel superwetting membranes have been developed for oil/water separation. This review introduces and discusses membranes and nanofibers reported in recent years for oil/water separation, with emphasis on coupling the wettability characteristics with the structural features. We mainly discuss five types of membranes with superwetting surfaces. In each category, representative research, manufacturing technology, membrane structure, and applications are discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and future opportunities for superwetting membranes in the field of oil/water separation are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]