In-situ construction of MOFs-based superhydrophobic/superoleophilic coating on filter paper with self-cleaning and antibacterial activity for efficient oil/water separation

Superhydrophobic/superoleophilic paper with excellent self-cleaning and antibacterial activity was prepared via combination of in-situ growing Cu metal-organic frameworks (Cu-MOFs) nanoparticles on paper surface by simple layer-by-layer assembly together with subsequent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treatment under ambient conditions. The surface chemical composition , crystalline pattern, surface chemical functional group, surface morphology and wettability of the modified paper samples were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , scanning electron microscope and water contact angle measurement. The synergetic effect of Cu-MOFs nanoparticles and PDMS was crucial and essential for achieving a superhydrophobic surface. The PDMS/(Cu-MOFs) 5 @paper not only showed self-cleaning, antibacterial activity and superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity, but also exhibited excellent oil-water separation performance for oil-water mixture and emulsion. In addition, this obtained superhydrophobic paper showed good mechanical and chemical durability. In summary, the proposed method provides a new perspective into preparing superhydrophobic paper for oil spills treatment and environmental remediation.