Superhydrophobic coating composed of rosin acid and TiO2 with antimicrobial properties and excellent mechanical durability for oil/water separation

Developing multifunctional materials with green, lasting, and simple preparation processes is a hot topic and challenge in solving the problem of oil spill contamination. A multifunctionalized superhydrophobic coating was generated via cross-linking 3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl acrylate with Polyethyleneimine in a multifunctional covalent manner and modifying the cotton fabric surface with silylated modified rosin acid (RA-Si) as well as TiO 2 nanoparticles . The coated samples had remarkable superhydrophobicity with self-cleaning as well as stain resistance. With bactericidal rates of 97.73 % and 98.36 %, respectively, the coated samples effectively inhibited the formation of biofilms and showed high antimicrobial performance for both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . Meanwhile, the coated samples showed outstanding oil absorption and separation of the oil-water mixture. Both water-in-oil and oil-in-water stable emulsions would be effectively separated out of the coated samples after demulsifying. Additionally, the water droplet contact angle of the coated samples was maintained at approximately 150.0° after mechanical and chemical testing. It was noteworthy that the coated samples still exhibited satisfactory separation for stabilizing oil/water emulsions after mechanical wear and chemical corrosion treatment, indicating their excellent mechanical durability. The prepared multifunctional RA-TiO 2 superhydrophobic coating has promising applications in oil-containing wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.