PPy/PDMS-functionalized delignified wood aerogel: Photothermal-electrical dual-energy empowerment and all-weather oil–water separation performance

To address marine oil spills, developing highly efficient recovery technologies for high-viscosity crude oil has become a research priority. This study employs processed, delignified lightweight wood (WA) as a substrate. Through in-situ polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) and coating modification with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a composite aerogel (PDMS@PPy@WA) was successfully developed, exhibiting superhydrophobicity, rapid thermal responsiveness, and outstanding stability. This material fully preserves the three-dimensional porous framework of wood, exhibiting lightweight and highly permeable structural characteristics. It demonstrates a water contact angle as high as 159.30° and possesses rapid heating capabilities under both photothermal and electrothermal dual-drive conditions. Under 1-sun solar irradiance (1 kW/m 2 ), the material surface temperature can rise to 82.4 °C within 2 min. When driven by a 6 V voltage, it can similarly reach 82.6 °C within 2 min via the Joule heating effect. Additionally, this aerogel exhibits outstanding mechanical and chemical stability, withstanding pressures equivalent to 3,780 times its own weight. It maintains stable performance after 72 h of immersion in strong acid or strong alkali environments. Based on green, renewable biomass feedstocks and employing a streamlined functionalization strategy, this work provides a sustainable material solution with application potential for efficient, all-weather crude oil recovery.