Mussel-Inspired Chemical Modification of Cotton Fabrics for Oil/Water Separation

A hydrophobic and lipophilic cotton fabric based on mussel-inspired chemistry was developed to improve surface durability. The surface morphology and wettability of the modified fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, and contact angle measurement. The water contact angle and surface wettability analysis showed that the modified cotton fabric had a water contact angle of 154.9°, and the modified cotton fabric could be driven by gravity to separate the mixture of oil and water and had good separation efficiency for different types of oil and water mixtures, which was equal to or greater than 97% on average. In addition, the oil/water separation flux could be controlled by adjusting the pore size of the modified fabric.