In-situ growth of Cu2O microstructures on copper Mesh: A robust multifunctional membrane for oil spill Cleanup and photo-Fenton-like degradation of organic dyes

Sustainable oil-water separation is essential for global industries, particularly in the treatment of industrial wastewater and remediation of marine oil spills. Membrane-based separation has emerged as a key technology in this context. However, conventional superhydrophobic membranes often fail to remove dissolved organic pollutants from complex oily wastewater, which limits their reliability in large-scale applications. To address this, we developed a multifunctional membrane by in-situ growth of Cu 2 O microstructures on a copper mesh substrate via a hydrothermal redox reaction, followed by functionalization with stearic acid to impart superhydrophobicity. The resulting membrane demonstrated excellent oil-water separation performance, with a high flux of ∼22,812 Lm −2 h −1 and an efficiency of 99.85%. It also exhibited notable self-cleaning capability, stability under harsh environments, and recyclability. Furthermore, the membrane showed prominent photo-Fenton-like catalytic activity, achieving a 97.3% removal rate of organic dyes within 18 min. The degradation process was systematically optimized by varying the catalyst dosage, initial pH of the solution, dye concentration, and H 2 O 2 content. This work presents a significant advancement in multifunctional membrane technology by integrating efficient oil-water separation with advanced oxidation processes for the remediation of complex wastewater.