Fabrication of all biomass-based carbonized aerogels for efficient oil separation

Frequent oil spills have caused severe damage to marine ecosystems, necessitating the development of effective and sustainable methods for oil/water separation. This study utilized green-sourced bacterial cellulose and chitin as raw materials without the need of additional additives. Through freeze-drying and carbonization at 500 °C, a hydrophobic, oleophilic cellulose-based carbon aerogel (CBC) was synthesized. The results indicate that the optimal sample has a high specific surface area (489 m 2 /g), excellent oil absorption capacity (∼138 g/g), and remarkable hydrophobicity (with a water contact angle of 135°). Additionally, the carbon aerogel demonstrates good thermal stability, can be reused multiple times, and can effectively separate immiscible oil/water mixtures and stable water-in-oil emulsions. These findings suggest that CBC, as a scalable and eco-friendly material, holds great potential for marine oil spill remediation, offering new possibilities for advancing sustainable environmental restoration.