There is a critical need for new energy-efficient solutions to separate oil-water mixtures, especially those stabilized by surfactants. Traditional membrane-based separation technologies are energy-intensive and further limited, either by fouling or the inability of a single membrane to separate all types of oil-water mixtures (i.e., free oil and water, oil-in-water emulsions, water-in-oil emulsions and any combination of these phases). The ideal membrane for solely gravity-driven separation of oil-water mixtures is expected to be both hydrophilic and oleophobic, in air and under water. Recently (Nature, 2012, in press), we have developed superhydrophilic (i.e., water contact angles ~ 0�) and superoleophobic (i.e., oil contact angles > 150�) that allow us to separate all types of oil-water mixtures solely using gravity in a single unit operation, with > 99.9% separation efficiency.

Hygro-responsive membranes for effective oil-water separation

244th National Meeting (2012)

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