Eco-friendly graphene-doped cellulose acetate superhydrophobic polymer for efficient oil-water separation

In the field of oil-water separation, porous polymers with specific wettability have demonstrated great promise. Herein, we prepared a graphene-doped cellulose acetate porous polymer (graphene/CA) by thermally induced non-solvent induced phase separation (TINIPS) method. Wettability and oil absorption performance of graphene/CA-1.5 were studied with emphasis. The results showed that the water contact angle of graphene/CA-1.5 was 151°, while the oil contact angle was only 0°. As an adsorbent material, graphene/CA-1.5 could adsorb oils and organics such as soybean oil and CCl 4 from water, corresponding to a saturation capacity between 6.71 g/g and 14.72 g/g. Moreover, graphene/CA-1.5 remained stable hydrophobicity and oil absorption performance in environments such as strong acids, strong alkalis and extreme temperatures. Therefore, graphene/CA-1.5 is a potential adsorbent material for the treatment of oil pollution.