Oil–Water Separation Performance of Conjugated Microporous Polymer Aerogel and Photothermal Conversion Performance of Its Composite Sponge

Oil spills in the marine environment and the wanton discharge of industrial oily wastewater pose a serious threat to the ecosystem and human health. Thus, efficient and rapid treatment of oily wastewater is of great significance. Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) have a large specific surface area, adjustable pore size, and especially their inherent hydrophobicity, making them an ideal adsorption material for the treatment of oily wastewater. Herein, a novel self-supporting CMPs aerogel (TCMPs) with a three-dimensional porous network structure was prepared by using 2,4,6-tris-(3-bromophenyl)-(1,3,5)-triazine and 1,4-diethynylbenzene as polymer monomers through the Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling reaction. Based on the inherent strong hydrophobic properties and extraordinary pore structure of TCMPs, its adsorption capacity for nine types of oils/organic solvents is 9–25 times its own weight. Moreover, TCMPs achieved an oil–water separation efficiency of 96%. The solar steam generator (TCMPs-PPy) was fabricated by spraying polypyrrole on the surface of melamine sponge and combining it with TCMPs. Under 1 kW m −2 radiation, TCMPs-PPy had a photothermal conversion capability and evaporation efficiency of 83.27% in 1 wt% oily water. The findings of this work implied that the CMPs-based aerogel demonstrates the potential of an excellent material for treating oily wastewater.